API Guide

Overview
The Redfish Scalable Platforms Management API is a standard defined by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF).
Redfish is a next-generation systems management interface standard, which enables scalable, secure, and open server
management. It is a new interface that uses RESTful interface semantics to access data that is defined in model format to
perform out-of-band systems management. It is suitable for a wide range of servers ranging from stand-alone servers to rack
mount and bladed environments and for large scale cloud environments.
Dell PowerEdge servers offer a comprehensive range of embedded systems management functions enabled by the Integrated
Dell Remote Access Controler (iDRAC) with Lifecycle Controller. These functions are designed by adhering industry standard
application programming interfaces (APIs) including Redfish.
iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller technology is part of a larger data center solution that helps keep business critical
applications and workloads available always. The technology allows administrators to deploy, monitor, manage, configure,
update, troubleshoot, and remediate Dell servers from any location, and without the use of agents. It accomplishes this
regardless of an operating system or a Hypervisor presence or state.
This document provides a brief overview on Redfish and information on various aspects of Redfish protocol, supported schema,
and Redfish Eventing implemented in iDRAC. It also provides guidelines for using the Dell Redfish APIs.
Topics:
• New in this release
• Benefits
• Key technologies
• Other documents you may need
New in this release
● Added support for Redfish 2016 R2 and R3 APIs including PCIe device and NVDIMM inventory, OS Host Interface access,
and Privilege registry.
● Added support for Redfish 2017 R1, R2, and R3 APIs including boot source configuration, virtual media management, and
maintenance window scheduling.
● Added support for Memory (DIMMs) inventory and statistics.
● Added support for query parameters.
Benefits
Redfish is a global standard for open server management. It has the capabilities to support single servers, converged
infrastructure, and hyper—scale architecture. It provides the following benefits over existing server management methods:
● Increased simplicity and usability
● High data security
● Programmable interface that can be easily scripted
● Widely-used standard
Key technologies
Redfish uses web and cloud-based technologies that enable communications with servers using common programming and
scripting languages such as Python, JAVA, and C. The key technologies are as follows:
● REpresentational State Transfer (REST) interface — REST is a web based API, which provides a way to interact with a
system over a normal web connection. It supports both HTTPS and HTTP.
● Java Script Notation (JSON) — JSON represents data in such a way that it is much easier to read than XML. It also
provides the formatting that is required for scripting languages to interface with the data.
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