NAME

SoftLayer::API::SOAP - A Perl extension to communicate with the SoftLayer API

DESCRIPTION

SoftLayer::API::SOAP provides a simple method for connecting to and making calls from the SoftLayer SOAP API and provides support for many of the SoftLayer API's features.

SOAP method calls and client management are handled by the SOAP::Lite module with some help from XML::Hash::LX. Please install both of these modules before using SoftLayer::API::SOAP. Place the SoftLayer directory this file is contained in somewhere within your system's @INC path or use the use lib statement to include a custom path.

Follow these steps to make a SoftLayer API call:

1) Declare a new API object by calling the SoftLayer::API::SOAP-new()> method. This method has one required parameter and three optional parameters:

• serviceName: The name of SoftLayer API service you wish to use like 'SoftLayer_Account' or 'SoftLayer_Hardware_Server'.

• initParameter: An optional id to initialize your API client with a specific object.

• username: Your SoftLayer API username. You can either specify it when calling new() or define it in the SOAP.pm file.

• apiKey: Your SoftLayer API key. You can either specify it when calling new() or define it in the SOAP.pm file.

• endpointUrl: An optional API endpoint URL if you do not wish to call SoftLayer's public network API endpoints. Pass the value $SoftLayer::API::SOAP::API_PRIVATE_ENDPOINT if you wish to connect to SoftLayer's private network API endpoints.

my $client = SoftLayer::API::SOAP->new('SoftLayer_Account');
my $client = SoftLayer::API::SOAP->new('SoftLayer_Hardware_Server', $serverId, $username, $apiKey);

2) Call a method from your API client object corresponding to the SoftLayee API method you wish to call, specifying parameters as needed.

my $openTickets = $client->getOpenTickets();

3) Check for errors by checking the ->fault property on your API call result. If ->fault is set then ->faultstring contains the error message received from the SoftLayer API. Otherwise, the result of your API call is stored in the ->result property.

if ($openTickets->fault) {
    echo $openTickets->faultstring;
} else {
    echo 'I have tickets!';
    print Dumper($openTickets->result);
}

These steps can be combined on a single line:

my $openTickets = SoftLayer::API::SOAP->new('SoftLayer_Account')->getOpenTickets()->result;

USAGE

Here's a simple usage example that retrieves account information by calling the getObject() method in the SoftLayer_Account service:

# This is optional and can be removed if you already have the SoftLayer
# directory that contains this module in your @INC path.
use lib '/path/to/my/SoftLayer/directory';

use SoftLayer::API::SOAP;
use Data::Dumper;

# Initialize an API client for the SoftLayer_Account service.
my $client = SoftLayer::API::SOAP->new('SoftLayer_Account');

# Retrieve our account record
my $account = $client->getObject();

if ($account->fault) {
    die 'Unable to retrieve account information: ' . $account->faultstring;
} else {
    print Dumper($account->result);
}

For a more complex example we'll retrieve a support ticket with id 123456 along with the ticket's updates, the user it's assigned to, the servers attached to it, and the datacenter those servers are in. We'll retrieve our extra information using a nested object mask. After we have the ticket we'll update it with the text 'Hello!'.

use SoftLayer::API::SOAP;
use Data::Dumper;

# Initialize an API client for ticket 123456
my $client = SoftLayer::API::SOAP->new('SoftLayer_Ticket', 123456);

# Assign an object mask to our API client.
$client->setObjectMask({
    updates => '',
    assignedUser => '',
    attachedHardware => {
        datacenter => ''
    }
});

# Retrieve the ticket record
my $ticket = $client->getObject();

if ($ticket->fault) {
    die 'Unable to retrieve ticket record: ' . $ticket->faultstring;
} else {
    print Dumper($ticket->result);
}

# Update the ticket
my %update = {
    entry => 'Hello!'
};

my $ticketUpdate = $client->addUpdate($update);

if ($ticketUpdate->fault) {
    die 'Unable to update ticket: ' . $ticketUpdate->faultstring;
} else {
    print "Updated ticket 123456. The new update's id is "
        . $ticketUpdate->result->{'id'} . '.';
}

SEE ALSO

The most up to date version of this library can be found on the SoftLayer github public repositories. Please post to the SoftLayer forums or open a support ticket in the SoftLayer customer portal if you have any questions regarding use of this library.

AUTHOR

SoftLayer Technologies, Inc. <sldn@softlayer.com>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright (c) 2010, SoftLayer Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

• Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

• Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

• Neither SoftLayer Technologies, Inc. nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.