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kbanks_127659's avatar
kbanks_127659
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Apr 06, 2004

Looking for additional documentation

Looking at the "iControl" docs, I see the need for at least two other docs.

 

 

1) A high level overview of the API and the capabilities it gives you.

 

 

2) Information on the "iRules" format. (The existing API docs tell me I would use create_rule() to add a new rule, but the description for the "rule" parameter just tells me it's a "string".)

 

 

I've looked all over DevCentral, but I'm not seeing this kind of information. Is there something I'm overlooking?

 

 

Thanks! Kevin Banks / teracruz.com
dev
devops
iControl
v4
  • Joe_Pruitt's avatar
    Joe_Pruitt
    Apr 06, 2004
    Good points.

     

     

    Point 1)

     

    Originally the SDK was designed to "complement" our products references, providing the programmatic interfaces into the features available in the GUI and the CLI on the respective products. There are several "high" level overviews on our marketing pages on www.f5.com but I don't think that's what you are looking for. This is a tricky issue because when a "high" level overview is "too high" then it becomes not so useful for developers. But when it's "too low" then it's not useful for those not familiar with our products. Also what some consider as "overviews' are really solutions that iControl helps you solve. I'd recommend you visit the iControl section of the f5 website http://www.f5.com/f5products/products/iControl/ and see if what you are looking for is there.

     

     

    Basically the SDK allows you to built applications to control the configuration of the device(s). It also give you the ability to monitor the statistics gathered on the box. Basically, anything you can do in the GUI is exposed in a programmatic interface.

     

     

    Point 2)

     

    As for the iRules syntax language, this is contained in the BIG-IP reference manual (https://your_bigip_address/doc/bigip_ref.pdf). In the manual (Chapter 5) is 40 or so pages on the syntax of the rule language.

     

     

    At the time of the 4.5 SDK release, the GUI only supported a minimal subset of the rules functionality. We are currently working on condensing the information in the reference manual for a future SDK release.

     

     

    -Joe