REST Server API

You can use the REST Server APIs to access the IBM Security Directory Integrator Server from non-Java-based clients through the RESTful interface.

REST stands for Representational State Transfer. This interface delegates all calls to the already existing Server APIs by providing a representation for the already defined resources such as Configurations, ConfigInstances, AssemblyLines, PropertyStores, and Listeners. The REST Server API uses HTTP/1.1 for transportation and allows resource representation in both XML and JSON syntax.
Note: The current version of RESTful interface does not provide a complete mirror of the existing Remote/Local APIs. Only the most commonly used Remote/Local APIs are exported through the RESTful interface.

Representational state transfer (REST) is a style of software architecture for distributed hypermedia systems such as the World Wide Web. REST-style architectures consist of clients on one side and a server on the other. Clients initiate requests to the server; the server processes the request and returns an appropriate response. Requests and responses are built around the transfer of representations of resources. A resource can be essentially any coherent and meaningful concept that can be addressed. A representation of a resource is typically a document that captures the current or intended state of a resource.

At any particular time, a client can either be in transition between application states or "at rest". A client in a rest state is able to interact with its user, but creates no load and consumes no per-client storage on the set of servers or on the network.

The client begins sending requests when it is ready to make the transition to a new state. While one or more requests are outstanding, the client is considered to be in transition. The representation of each application state contains links that can be used next time the client chooses to initiate a new state transition.

REST was initially described in the context of HTTP, but is not limited to that protocol. RESTful architectures can be based on other Application Layer protocols if they already provide a rich and uniform vocabulary for applications based on the transfer of meaningful representational state. RESTful applications maximize the use of the pre-existing, well-defined interface and other built-in capabilities provided by the chosen network protocol, and also minimize the addition of new application-specific features.