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First steps with the OVHcloud API

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Learn how to use OVHcloud APIs and pair them with your applications.

The APIs available on https://api.us.ovhcloud.com/ allow you to purchase, manage, update, and configure OVHcloud products without using a graphical interface such as the Control Panel.

 

Requirements

 

Topics

 

Instructions

Warning

NOTE: OVHcloud provides services for which you are responsible for their configuration and management. You are therefore responsible for their proper functioning.

This tutorial is designed to help you as much as possible with common tasks. If you are having difficulty performing these actions, please contact a specialized service provider. OVHcloud cannot provide you with technical support in this regard.

 

Simple Use

Sign in to OVHcloud APIs

On the OVHcloud API page, click Explore the OVHcloud API to view the list of APIs.

Manage - First steps - step 1

To use the APIs on your products, you must sign in to this site using your OVHcloud credentials.

  • Click Authentication in the upper left.
  • Select Login with OVHcloud SSO.

Manage - First steps - step 2

  • Enter your OVHcloud credentials and click Login.

    Info

    If you are a sub-user, enter your account ID (in the format XXXX-XXXX-XX/user) and password.

Manage - First steps - step 3

  • Click Authorize.

    Info

    If your OVHcloud account is protected by two-factor authentication, you will also need to enter the code generated by SMS or OTP mobile application or U2F key.

Manage - First steps - step 4

 

Explore available APIs

You can see a list of OVHcloud products that can be managed with APIs in the upper-left corner. This list is sorted alphabetically.

Manage - First steps - step 5

For example, to view the Public Cloud APIs, click /cloud in the list.

After you click the product, a list of the product’s APIs appears below.

There is also a Filter feature to limit the visible API calls. You can also use the selector to the left of the branch name to switch between the /v1 and /v2 branches of the API.

Manage - First steps - step 6

 

Run API

There are four types of APIs available that use what are called HTTP methods:

GET

The GET method is used to retrieve data from a resource.

For example, to retrieve a list of your instances, use the following API:

GET/cloud/project/{serviceName}/instance

POST

The POST method is used to send additional data to the resource.

For example, to create a new instance, use the following API:

POST/cloud/project/{serviceName}/instance

PUT

The PUT method is used to replace the current data in the resource with the data in the query.

For example, to alter an instance in your project, use the following API:

PUT/cloud/project/{serviceName}/instance/{instanceId}

DELETE

The DELETE method is used to delete the called resource.

For example, to delete an instance from your project, use the following API:

DELETE/cloud/project/{serviceName}/instance/{instanceId}

 

API parameters

After you click the API you want, the REQUEST section allows you to assign variables for its application.

For example, when retrieving a list of instances in a project, you must enter the serviceName and can also add information in the region variable.

Once you have set the parameters, you can launch the API by clicking TRY.

Manage - First steps - step 7

The RESPONSE tab below provides the API execution report.

Manage - First steps - step 8

Scrolling down further will reveal PHP and Python tabs containing the elements to be added to your script, depending on the language used.

 

Advanced usage: pair OVHcloud APIs with an application

Create your app keys

Any application that wants to communicate with the OVHcloud API must be declared in advance.

Tip

Click the tab for the type of user you are: Root or Sub.

Root User
Sub-User

Use the following link: https://api.us.ovhcloud.com/createToken/.

Fill in:

  • your OVHcloud Account ID (email address) and password
  • a script name and description
  • a Validity period
  • the Rights you want to allow
Info

To allow all OVHcloud APIs for an HTTP method, put an asterisk (*) into the "path" field.

Click the + button to add additional rights to PUT, POST, and/or DELETE. Click the - button to remove any of those rights.

Click Create keys.

Manage - First steps - step 9

 

The next screen will show you a set of three keys:

  • the application key, or AK. For example:
7kbG7Bk7S9Nt7ZSV
  • the application secret, or AS, is not to be disclosed. For example:
EXEgWIz07P0HYwtQDs7cNIqCiQaWSuHF
  • the consumer key, or CK, is not to be disclosed. For example:
MtSwSrPpNjqfVSmJhLbPyr2i45lSwPU1

In this case, the CK key is attached to your account.

The CK token can be used for rights delegation.

 

First API usage

Once you have obtained your three keys (AK, AS, CK), you can sign API requests. The signature is calculated as follows:

"$1$" + SHA1_HEX(AS+"+"+CK+"+"+METHOD+"+"+QUERY+"+"+BODY+"+"+TSTAMP)

To simplify the development of your applications, OVHcloud provides API wrappers in multiple languages. Using them will help you avoid worrying about signing requests so that you can focus on developing your application.

Here is an example of how to use the /me section to manage your OVHcloud account:

import ovh

# Instantiate. Visit https://api.us.ovhcloud.com/createToken/?GET=/me
# to get your credentials
client = ovh.Client(
    endpoint='ovh-eu',
    application_key='<application key>',
    application_secret='<application secret>',
    consumer_key='<consumer key>',
)

# Print nice welcome message
print("Welcome", client.get('/me')['firstname'])

 

List and revoke your keys

Via OVHcloud API
Via OVHcloud Control Panel

To see or revoke your keys, you must use the OVHcloud API.

List the keys IDs:

GET/me/api/application

Get key details:

GET/me/api/application/{applicationId}

Revoke a key:

DELETE/me/api/application/{applicationId}

 

Go further

Browse all the API guides.

Browse the rest of the OVHcloud US documentation for guides on our other products and services.