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M_G1's avatar
M_G1
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Jan 13, 2017

Reading External Datagroup files via iControlREST

Is it possible to read/edit the contents of an external datagroup file via iControlREST directly without downloading the file?

 

https://{{big_ip_a_mgmt}}/mgmt/tm/ltm/data-group/external/my_sample_class gives me the properties of the file but not the contents.

 

For internal datagroups this works as expected using the following: https://{{big_ip_a_mgmt}}/mgmt/tm/ltm/data-group/internal/my_sample_class

 

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iControlREST
  • JRahm's avatar
    JRahm
    Icon for Admin rankAdmin
    Jan 23, 2017

    The process for uploading external dg is typically

    1. Upload file
    2. Import file via sys/file/ifile
    3. Create ltm ifile reference to that file object

    If you query that object file object, you end up with many attributes, none of which include the filename created in the filestore. But one attribute is 

    sourcePath
    and as long as you are not cleaning up in between posts, you could potentially download that file, edit, re-upload, and then update the file object. Or, just make sure the source of truth is where your script is running, then you just update from there without being concerned what's in the current live version.

    To answer your question, it IS possible to read the file, but you will need to do some bash calesthenics to interrogate the filestore to get the filename, but even then you still need to download the file to edit it.

  • Muhammad_64435's avatar
    Muhammad_64435
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Jun 07, 2018

    Jason, as you have always been very helpful ... Would you please guide me here too. As per above post, I able to read the list of data group files using python SDK.

     

    BigIP Version : 12.1.2 HF2

     

    Now I am trying to read contents of each file. Below is my code but it is erroring out :

     

        dglist = mgmt.tm.util.bash.exec_cmd('run', utilCmdArgs='-c "ls /config/filestore/files_d/Common_d/data_group_d"')

     Write to a file and then read it line by line 
    dgfile = open("dgfilelist","w")
    dgfile.write(dglist.commandResult)
    dgfile.close()

    dgfile = open("dgfilelist","r")
    for line in dgfile:
      print ("File name is : "+line)
      cmdargs = "'run',"+" utilCmdArgs="+"'-c "+"\"cat /config/filestore/files_d/Common_d/data_group_d/"+line+"\"\'"
      print ("CmdArgs are : "+ cmdargs )
      dgshow = mgmt.tm.util.bash.exec_cmd(cmdargs)
      print ("File Contents are :")
      print (dgshow.commandResult)
    Here is the Output :
    Shoaib-Mac:f5-sdk mshoaib$ ./p get-datagroup.py 
    File name is : :Common:testvip_PH_16641_18

    CmdArgs are : 'run', utilCmdArgs='-c "cat /config/filestore/files_d/Common_d/data_group_d/:Common:testvip_PH_16641_18
    "'
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "get-datagroup.py", line 31, in 
        dgshow = mgmt.tm.util.bash.exec_cmd(cmdargs)
      File "/Users/mshoaib/anaconda3/lib/python3.6/site-packages/f5_sdk-3.0.14-py3.6.egg/f5/bigip/tm/util/bash.py", line 50, in exec_cmd
        self._is_allowed_command(command)
      File "/Users/mshoaib/anaconda3/lib/python3.6/site-packages/f5_sdk-3.0.14-py3.6.egg/f5/bigip/mixins.py", line 218, in _is_allowed_command
        raise InvalidCommand(error_message)
    f5.sdk_exception.InvalidCommand: The command value 'run', utilCmdArgs='-c "cat /config/filestore/files_d/Common_d/data_group_d/:Common:testvip_PH_16641_18
    "' does not exist. Valid commands are ['run']
    Shoaib-Mac:f5-sdk mshoaib$

    I have tried different iterations to supply a file name to the "exec_cmd" function but it's always angry ...

     

    I appreciate any help or pointers to do it correctly.

     

    Thank you, Muhammad

     

    • PeteWhite's avatar
      PeteWhite
      Icon for Employee rankEmployee
      Jul 10, 2018

      The entries in the list which iterate as line contain a carriage return at the end which is making it puke.

       

  • kailas_pathade_'s avatar
    kailas_pathade_
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Jul 10, 2018

    dgshow = mgmt.tm.util.bash.exec_cmd('run', utilCmdArgs='-c "cat /config/filestore/files_d/Common_d/data_group_d/{0}"'.format(file_name))

     

    • Muhammad_64435's avatar
      Muhammad_64435
      Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
      Jul 12, 2018

      Thank you Kailas ... it worked. Below is my working script to read the contents of all the data groups and display its contents.

      dglist = mgmt.tm.util.bash.exec_cmd(
    'run', utilCmdArgs='-c "ls /config/filestore/files_d/Common_d/data_group_d"')

 Write to a file and then read it line by line
dgfile = open("dgfilelist", "w")
dgfile.write(dglist.commandResult)
dgfile.close()
dgfile = open("dgfilelist", "r")
for file in dgfile:
    dgshow = mgmt.tm.util.bash.exec_cmd('run', utilCmdArgs='-c "cat /config/filestore/files_d/Common_d/data_group_d/{0} " '.format(file))
     print file contents
    print (dgshow.commandResult)
    print ("========")
  • Jmdc's avatar
    Jmdc
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Apr 21, 2022

    I hope its ok to bring this thread back to the top. I am new to rest and I can't figure out how to just read the contents of the external data group file. I can do it fine for internal but seem I can't do exactly the same for external. Any help is much appreciated.