Use remote control panel APIs

Use these APIs to write a program that can access the control panel remotely. Your program can access many commands and queries using these APIs.

The remote control panel function of Operations Console provides a set of APIs (application program interfaces) that system administrators can use to control the server through programs. The APIs allow custom programs to interface with the system control panel and perform many common system control panel functions.

You can only use these APIs if you are using the remote control panel that is connected with the serial console cable. You cannot use these APIs with the virtual control panel or remote control panel connected with a parallel cable.

The interface to the remote control panel APIs is established through a standard TCP/IP socket connection. The socket connection can be implemented in any programming language that supports sockets on the Windows® platform (Java™ , C/C++, Visual Basic to name a few).

To use the remote control panel APIs you need to follow these steps:

  1. Start Operations Console with the remote control panel function.
  2. From a custom program open a socket connection to port 2150 on the same PC.
  3. Send a supported command from the set of commands that are described below.
  4. Receive the byte stream that is sent back on the same socket connection.
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as necessary on the same socket connection.
  6. Close the socket connection when done.

Your program will need to interpret the byte stream sent back from the server. The returned byte stream consists of a predefined format which is the same for all commands. The byte stream will be at least 4 bytes long. Some commands will return additional bytes.

The first two bytes (0 and 1) will return the command status, typically successful or unsuccessful. The next two bytes (2 and 3) will be a 16-bit number N, which tells how many additional bytes will follow these first 4 bytes. If N is nonzero, then there will be additional information in bytes 4 through 4 + N.. This information will be additional data related to the command, such as TRUE or FALSE.

Note: If the command sent is not one of the command strings defined below, then the return code in bytes 0 and 1 of the return value will be 32 (0x20). This means Command not Supported.

Your programs can perform the following control panel functions by using the following APIs.

Parent topic: Control panel