Considerations when making configuration changes

The REST API can access and change every configurable aspect of the switch as modeled in the configuration and state database. However, changing the configuration of a switch through the REST API can be different than changing the configuration through the CLI.

A single configuration change to the switch can require changes to multiple resources in the configuration and state database. Often these changes must be made in a specific order.

The CLI commands have been programmed to work "behind the scenes" to make the correct database changes and to perform data validation checks on the user input. In contrast, when you use the REST API to make a configuration change, you must become familiar with the representational models of the switch resources, the type and format of the data required, and the required order of write operations to various resources.

CAUTION:

The REST API is powerful but must be used with extreme caution: No semantic validation is performed on the data you write to the database, and configuration errors can destabilize the switch. Hewlett Packard Enterprise recommends that you refer to the tested examples when using the REST API to make configuration changes.