VMware Networking Community
windfall
Contributor
Contributor
‎05-12-2017 06:08 PM

NSX Flow Monitoring API issue

I have tried to follow the API guide 6.2 example 10-51 in page 338 for flow monitoring but it never work. Can anyone assist to verify my POST URL script?

The document state as follow:

GET https://NSX-Manager-IP-Address/api/2.1/flow/flowstats?contextId=datacenter-2538\&flowType=TCP_UDP\&s...

ex=0\&pageSize=2

I obtain my datacenter ID from API below.

                <scope>
                    <id>datacenter-2</id>
                    <objectTypeName>Datacenter</objectTypeName>
                    <name>LAB1</name>
               

</scope>

When I execute the API, it did not work.

GET https://192.168.0.250/api/2.1/flow/flowstats?contextId=datacenter-2\&flowType=TCP_UDP\&startTime=0\&...

ex=0\&pageSize=2

or

https://192.168.0.250/api/2.1/flow/flowstats?contextId=datacenter-2\&flowType=TCP_UDP

the response status is "500 Internal Server Error"

<html>

    <title>NSX Manager</title>

    <body>Invalid Operation</body>

</html>

I have no issue with some other APIs like traceflow, VXLAN, controller, etc but this one does not work for me. Smiley Sad

Am i missing something here?

regards,

Robin

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5 Replies
AA120
VMware Employee
VMware Employee
‎05-12-2017 09:10 PM

Hi,

In p.217 in NSX-v 6.3 API manual, flow monitoring API is written as the below.

https://pubs.vmware.com/nsx-63/topic/com.vmware.ICbase/PDF/nsx_63_api.pdf

Working With Flow Monitoring Statistics

GET /2.1/app/flow/flowstats

This monitoring feature can be used if "collectFlows" is true by using "PUT /2.1/app/flow/config" API.

My tests (in using 6.2.7) are the followings.

==========

1. Check the current configuration

# curl -sk -u <USER NAME>:<PASSWORD> -X GET https://<NSXMGR ADDR>/api/2.1/app/flow/config

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<FlowConfiguration>

  <collectFlows>false</collectFlows>

  <ignoreBlockedFlows>false</ignoreBlockedFlows>

  <ignoreLayer2Flows>false</ignoreLayer2Flows>

  <sourceIPs/>

  <destinationIPs>224.0.0.0/24,255.255.255.255</destinationIPs>

  <destinationContainer>

    <name>system-generated-broadcast-macset</name>

    <id>macset-1</id>

    <type>MACSet</type>

  </destinationContainer>

  <destinationPorts>138,137</destinationPorts>

</FlowConfiguration>

---

2. Change "collectFlows" to "true" (POST API or Web UI: [Networking & Security] -> [Flow Monitoring] -> [Configuration] -> Change "Global Flow Collection Status" to "Enabled")

# curl -ik -u <USER NAME>:<PASSWORD> -H "Content-Type: application/xml" -X PUT https://<NSXMGR ADDR>/api/2.1/app/flow/config -d "<FlowConfiguration>

  <collectFlows>true</collectFlows>

  <ignoreBlockedFlows>false</ignoreBlockedFlows>

  <ignoreLayer2Flows>false</ignoreLayer2Flows>

  <sourceIPs/>

  <destinationIPs>224.0.0.0/24,255.255.255.255</destinationIPs>

  <destinationContainer>

    <name>system-generated-broadcast-macset</name>

    <id>macset-1</id>

    <type>MACSet</type>

  </destinationContainer>

  <destinationPorts>138,137</destinationPorts>

</FlowConfiguration>"

---

3. Get meta-data

# curl -sk -u <USER NAME>:<PASSWORD> -X GET https://<NSXMGR ADDR>/api/2.1/app/flow/flowstats/info

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<FlowStatsInfo>

  <flowStatsInfoTcpUdp>

    <minimumStartTime>1493273464</minimumStartTime>

    <maximumEndTime>1494646469</maximumEndTime>

    <totalCount>13</totalCount>

  </flowStatsInfoTcpUdp>

  <flowStatsInfoLayer3>

    <minimumStartTime>0</minimumStartTime>

    <maximumEndTime>0</maximumEndTime>

    <totalCount>0</totalCount>

  </flowStatsInfoLayer3>

  <flowStatsInfoLayer2>

    <minimumStartTime>0</minimumStartTime>

    <maximumEndTime>0</maximumEndTime>

    <totalCount>0</totalCount>

  </flowStatsInfoLayer2>

</FlowStatsInfo>

---

4. Get flow information

# curl -sk -u <USER NAME>:<PASSWORD> -X GET https://<NSXMGR ADDR>/api/2.1/app/flow/flowstats?contextId=datacenter-2\&flowType=TCP_UDP\&startTime=1493273464\&endTime=1494646469

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<FlowStatsPage>

  <pagingInfo>

    <contextId>datacenter-2</contextId>

    <flowType>TcpUdp</flowType>

    <startTime>1493273464</startTime>

    <endTime>1494646469</endTime>

    <totalCount>10</totalCount>

    <startIndex>0</startIndex>

    <pageSize>256</pageSize>

  </pagingInfo>

  <flowStatsTcpUdp>

    <startTime>1494556024000</startTime>

    <endTime>1494647361000</endTime>

    <ruleId>1007</ruleId>

    <blocked>0</blocked>

...

    <destinationPort>22</destinationPort>

  </flowStatsTcpUdp>

</FlowStatsPage>

===========

Regards,

mizo

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windfall
Contributor
Contributor
‎05-13-2017 11:19 PM

Hi MIzo,

I have enabled Flow monitoring via GUI but the get flow API does not work (step 4). My NSX is version 6.2.6 Build 4977495 and I notice it is use Flow API 6.3 syntax. Thanks for this.

The output from GET API:

<html>

    <title>NSX Manager</title>

    <body>Invalid Operation</body>

</html>

I tried:

https://192.168.0.250/api/2.1/2.1/app/flow/flowstats?contextId=datacenter-2\&flowType=TCP_UDP\&start...

https://192.168.0.250/api/2.1/2.1/app/flow/flowstats?contextId=datacenter-2\&flowType=TCP_UDP\&start...

https://192.168.0.250/api/2.1/2.1/app/flow/flowstats?contextId=datacenter-2\&flowType=TCP_UDP\

I can see some flow outputs from GUI but not from API.

I attached my datacenter ID from MOB page which shows "datacenter-2" value. Do you have any idea why I got the invalid operation error? Thank you.

Preview file
21 KB
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windfall
Contributor
Contributor
‎05-17-2017 04:45 AM

Hi all,

Plz let me know if someone has successfully apply the Flow collection Monitoring API. Thanks

pastedImage_0.png

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thebrownteddybe
Contributor
Contributor
‎07-12-2017 09:46 AM

I have the same problem.

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thebrownteddybe
Contributor
Contributor
‎07-12-2017 11:12 AM

ok, i think i see your problem, you've delimited the & and you are using seconds, try using miliseconds.

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