Hyper V - How to get data via API

Question

Hi there,

Can we retrieve data via a rest API without connecting remotely from a Hyper V server in the cloud environment and extract data? If so how?

Edit:

I did a little research and came across a code like this. Can we somehow find all vms instead of sending vmNames as a parameter?

public class GetSummaryInformationClassV2
{
    public static void GetSummaryInformation(string[] vmNames)
    {
        ManagementScope scope = new ManagementScope(@"root\virtualization\v2", null);
        ManagementObject virtualSystemService = Utility.GetServiceObject(scope, "Msvm_VirtualSystemManagementService");
        ManagementBaseObject inParams = virtualSystemService.GetMethodParameters("GetSummaryInformation");

        ManagementObject[] virtualSystemSettings = new ManagementObject[vmNames.Length];

        for (int i = 0; i < vmNames.Length; i++)
        {
            virtualSystemSettings[i] = GetVirtualSystemSetting(vmNames[i], scope);
        }

        UInt32[] requestedInformation = new UInt32[4];
        requestedInformation[0] = 1;    // ElementName
        requestedInformation[2] = 103;  // MemoryUsage
        requestedInformation[3] = 112;  // MemoryAvailable

        inParams["SettingData"] = virtualSystemSettings;
        inParams["RequestedInformation"] = requestedInformation;

        ManagementBaseObject outParams = virtualSystemService.InvokeMethod("GetSummaryInformation", inParams, null);

        if ((UInt32)outParams["ReturnValue"] == ReturnCode.Completed)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Summary information was retrieved successfully.");

            ManagementBaseObject[] summaryInformationArray = 
                (ManagementBaseObject[])outParams["SummaryInformation"];

            foreach (ManagementBaseObject summaryInformation in summaryInformationArray)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("\nVirtual System Summary Information:");
                if ((null == summaryInformation["Name"]) || 
                    (summaryInformation["Name"].ToString().Length == 0))
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("\tThe VM or snapshot could not be found.");
                }
                else
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("\tName: {0}", summaryInformation["Name"].ToString());
                    foreach (UInt32 requested in requestedInformation)
                    {
                        switch (requested)
                        {
                            case 1:
                                Console.WriteLine("\tElementName: {0}", summaryInformation["ElementName"].ToString());
                                break;

                            case 103:
                                Console.WriteLine("\tMemoryUsage: {0}", summaryInformation["MemoryUsage"].ToString());
                                break;

                            case 112:
                                Console.WriteLine("\tMemoryAvailable: {0}", summaryInformation["MemoryAvailable"].ToString());
                                break;
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        else
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Failed to retrieve virtual system summary information");
        }

        inParams.Dispose();
        outParams.Dispose();
        virtualSystemService.Dispose();
    }

    public static ManagementObject GetVirtualSystemSetting(string vmName, ManagementScope scope)
    {
        ManagementObject virtualSystem = Utility.GetTargetComputer(vmName, scope);

        ManagementObjectCollection virtualSystemSettings = virtualSystem.GetRelated
         (
             "Msvm_VirtualSystemSettingData",
             "Msvm_SettingsDefineState",
             null,
             null,
             "SettingData",
             "ManagedElement",
             false,
             null
         );

        ManagementObject virtualSystemSetting = null;

        foreach (ManagementObject instance in virtualSystemSettings)
        {
            virtualSystemSetting = instance;
            break;
        }

        return virtualSystemSetting;

    }
}

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Hello Cenk,

Thank you for your question and for reaching out with your question today.

Yes, you can retrieve data via a REST API without connecting remotely from a Hyper-V server in a cloud environment. To achieve this, you can follow these general steps:

1. Set up a separate system or server that can access the REST API: Since you mentioned not connecting remotely from the Hyper-V server, you would need to establish a separate system that can connect to the internet and access the REST API. This system could be a different server or a computer with network access.
2. Develop or use a client application: On the system you set up in the previous step, you would need to develop or use a client application that can communicate with the REST API. This could be a custom application written in a programming language of your choice, or you can use tools like cURL or Postman to interact with the API.
3. Authenticate with the REST API: Depending on the API's authentication requirements, you may need to provide authentication credentials to access the data. This could involve using API keys, OAuth tokens, or other authentication methods. Consult the API documentation to understand the authentication process and implement it in your client application.
4. Make API requests: Using your client application, you can make HTTP requests to the REST API endpoints to retrieve the desired data. These requests can include various HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, or DELETE, depending on the API's design. Ensure that you are making the appropriate requests as per the API documentation to fetch the specific data you need.
5. Process and extract the data: Once you receive a response from the API, you can process the data returned according to your requirements. This could involve parsing JSON or XML responses, extracting specific fields, and storing the data in a desired format or location.

It's important to note that these steps assume you have access to the necessary network and internet connectivity to reach the REST API from the system you set up separately. Additionally, ensure that you comply with any terms of service, usage limits, or restrictions imposed by the API provider.

Remember to refer to the documentation provided by the REST API you are working with, as each API may have its own specific requirements and guidelines for accessing and retrieving data.

I used AI provided by ChatGPT to formulate part of this response. I have verified that the information is accurate before sharing it with you.

If the reply was helpful, please don’t forget to upvote or accept as answer.