Getting Started with the ClearPass Policy Manager API

What is REST?

REpresentational State Transfer, commonly abbreviated as REST, is a software architectural style that defines a set of constraints to be used for creating web services . This allows for rapid communication between networking applications and devices, with consistent inputs and outputs and predictable results.

Enabling the API capabilities

Because APIs use the same web interface that the UI uses, the API interface is already enabled for use. If access restrictions exist to limit the access to the interface, the API client systems must be within those boundaries.

The API clients are defined in Guest > Administration > API Services > API Clients screen. In the upper right corner of the screen, the Create API Client will allow the creation of a new client.

The selections made in Operating Mode and Grant Type will display the list of existing options that also determine the and other options such as token lifetime. The selection from Operator Profile is populated based on the list of available privileges. This is created under the Policy Manager > Administration > Users and Privileges > Admin Privileges screen.

Once the API Client is defined, those credentials may be used in the subsequent API related activities.