Forum Discussion

Lewis_Beard's avatar
9 months ago

API Groovy HttpPatch?

Is it possible to do an HttpPatch, or to use the PATCH verb, when updating devices?

I looked over on one of the LM pages for updataing devices with the API and as usual, most of the examples were in Python, but PUT did have one Groovy example, but PATCH did not. I’ve seen mention somewhere that at some point PATCH would be supported, wondering if it is or not.

I ended up getting my script working with a Get (so I dont lose all my device custom settings etc) and then changing the autoBalancedCollectorGroupId value, and then doing a PUT and it worked, and I didnt lose any of my custom properties. And I have a working filter all set up to run it against a target set of devices.

But still, I would rather just patch the fields I want without risk. I’m wondering if thats possible, or if GET/tweak/PUT is still the main go-to?

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    9 months ago

    Up to personal preference at that point. It should work either way since you already have the object in memory. Technically, it’s a bit less efficient to do a PUT since you’re putting more data than what needs to be changed, but the PUT also doesn’t change anything if nothing needs to be changed. 

    I personally would do PATCH because that way i know my code is only touching the thing i want to change (easier to tell what the code is changing). PUT is technically more idempotent. 

  • Cool, thanks for the replies. I’ll give Patch a go (carefully, due to opType).

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous

    Up to personal preference at that point. It should work either way since you already have the object in memory. Technically, it’s a bit less efficient to do a PUT since you’re putting more data than what needs to be changed, but the PUT also doesn’t change anything if nothing needs to be changed. 

    I personally would do PATCH because that way i know my code is only touching the thing i want to change (easier to tell what the code is changing). PUT is technically more idempotent. 

  • Oh and, while I may go ahead and try the patch option, generally speaking, since my GET was actually with a filter looking for autoBalancedCollectorGroupId:0 as well as a target collector group in the filter, I’m already doing a GET that gives me all the objects back and I have their json data in memory.

    So at that point, what are the cons of using a PUT given that I already have the object, can just change the value in the JSON, prep the data for the PUT, and do the PUT. Is it problematic or is PATCH still the way to go, assuming I can get it working?

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous

    You got lucky dodging a bullet. If you don’t specify the customProperties element in your json payload, the optype isn’t required, since it only applies to them. Though i’ve seen apparently inconsistent behavior when requiring the optype, maybe that was the SDK.

  • I will bookmark it too.

    The interesting thing is that my initial code was in Python, before I decided “nah, its time to go all-in on the Groovy” and I did a patch without specifying opType=replace, but it didnt reset any of my custom properties or anything, but it did update the autobalance as I expected.

    Not sure if I dodged a bullet there or just got lucky. :)

    Thanks!

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous

    Hehe, i keep that page bookmarked because it’s the only place i’ve found that describes it.

  • I am curious where that documentation was, that you quoted. I went to the link you sent, but I couldnt find that anywhere. I DID FIND the Patch section for devices, and I see the opType …. if you hadnt pointed out the differences between refresh (default) and replace, I might have tried it and been regretful. :)

    https://www.logicmonitor.com/support/rest-api-developers-guide/v1/devices/update-a-device

    The only reason I did the GET-tweak-PUT is because the groovy code didnt give a patch example.

    I DID manage to get Python code on my own working with patch before even looking at the link above, but I am moving away from doing anything in Python if possible, because I’d like to stick to code that is native to the portal (Groovy, Powershell).

    Thanks for the response! I’ll see if I can get Patch to work with the opType set to the correct thing, and I’ll export my target device as I try it.

    Cheers!

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous

    It depends on the endpoint. Look it up in the swagger docs and see if there’s a patch option. There usually is. The key with patch is that LM wants you to include an opType query parameter, and it’s not clear what this does. Here’s the best documentation I could find:

    Define custom properties for this device. Each property needs to have a name and a value. To add or update just one or a few device properties in the customProperties object, but not all of them, you’ll need to additionally use the opType query parameter. The opType query parameter can be set to add, refresh or replace. opType=add indicates that the properties included in the payload will be added, but all existing properties will remain the same. opType=replace indicates that the properties included in the request payload will be added if they don’t already exist, or updated if they do already exist, but all other existing properties will remain the same. opType=refresh indicates that the properties will be replaced with those included in the request payload.    

    Here’s my understanding:

    It only has anything to do with patching the custom properties. 

    opType=add - this will add any new properties you have specified in the customProperties of your payload. New properties will be added. Existing properties will remain with their existing value for any properties that already exist that are specified in your payload. I don’t see the use case for this one and don’t use it.

    opType=replace - this will add any new properties you have specified in the customProperties of your payload. New properties will be added. Existing properties will be overwritten with the value for that property in your payload. This one makes the most sense to me as it updates/creates the properties i specify in my payload and leaves everything else alone. This is the one i use almost exclusively.

    opType=refresh - this is the nuclear option. This deletes all custom properties and adds the ones from your payload. This one is the most dangerous and is more like a PUT. Exactly like a PUT actually, but only when it comes to the customProperties. So it’s like PATCHing the device, but PUTting the customProperties.

    GET-tweak-PUT should not be the go-to.