API upgrade independent of the SMS version

[Don_Paterson]

Is there a possibility to upgrade the Management API on an SMS independently of the SMS installed version?

For example, can and R80.20 SMS (which runs API Version 1.3 API) get an upgrade to Version 1.4 or even 1.7 or 1.8?

The question is a general question but can one idea is to support cluster build in API but on an R80.20 server.

Thanks,

Don

[PhoneBoy]

Generally you have to upgrade the underlying management for new API functionality.
Minor API improvements are sometime added to a JHF.

[Don_Paterson]

Yes. Good to have the added switches and support for Python and Ansible (newer version support and integration) added without upgrade and only JHFA.

I thought I heard something recently (maybe in a Tech Talk) about a possible roadmap item which was API upgrade option independent of major version upgrade. That's the main reason I ask 🙂

Cheers,

Don

[PhoneBoy]

We’ve added actual API calls in the JHF.
Presumably, the code to support said API calls didn’t require major changes, which is a requirement for JHF inclusion.

[Don_Paterson]

Do you know if that is documented?

I know the new API versions calls (New APIs) and updated existing calls (Updated APIs) are documented (link below) but are the newly supported calls/commands documented for what the JHFA supports that is new?

I have looked at R80.20 Take 202 and besides added Python 3 support, a new Gaia API version and a few other bug fixes and other features I can't see anything to do with calls supported

References:

R80.20 Jumbo HotFix - General Availability Take 202 (30 May 2021, GA from 7 July 2021)

PRJ-19563,
PRJ-19562,
PRJ-19531 Gaia OS NEW: Gaia API (version 1.5) will now be deployed via Jumbo Hotfix.

PRJ-19317,
PMTR-61346 SmartConsole NEW: Added support for Python 3 in Management API scripts.

https://sc1.checkpoint.com/documents/latest/APIs/index.html?#gui-cli/changelog~v1.7%20

Thanks, appreciate your time.

Regards,

Don

[PhoneBoy]

It’s documented, yes.
In R80.40 JHF 78 we even versioned the API for those calls (v1.6.1).
The only Management API we added in R80.20 was related to the new domain migration framework (for upgrades).
In R80.30 JHF, we added the domain migration API plus the APIs part of v1.6.1.

In general, I would not expect existing APIs to be backported to earlier releases.
New ones planned for upcoming releases could appear as part of the JHF for the most recent release, as was the case with the v1.6.1 APIs.

[Dorit_Dor · Accepted solution]

R80.20 is not new and missing many management capabilities. I wouldnt stay on R80.20 management and in fact most customers already upgraded their management version (they may be slow on upgrading gw’s but management upgrades are simpler and done more often). 

As indicated in past posts, most used version is still R80.40, but we already see good move of smart center and multi domain to R81x.

If you are interested in API then R81 and R81.10 have dramatically  more API’s to offer (with Web smart console, every action you see in the ui is fully supported by external API). To support these API’s we needed changes on the management itself that are not within what can change in jumbo. R81x management versions also have many other improvements around performance and stability. 

i would seriously consider management R81.10 and if not then at least R81

[Dorit_Dor]

By the way, what you read was relevant for Gaia API’s. In Gaia, the backend is the operating systems and we add only the  layer of API call.
This is not the case with management API’s. 

[Don_Paterson]

Thanks Dorit and Dameon, 

That's great info. 👍

The new versions and the APIs are indeed impressive, with all their supported features.

I like that the CME (Cloud Management Extension) is now built-in and can be used via API calls. Just one of many nice additions (along with export and import via API etc.).

As always, Check Mates shows  impressive value. 🙂

CME API:

https://community.checkpoint.com/t5/Cloud-Network-Security/CME-API/m-p/124553

Regards,

Don