This IBM® Redpaper describes the z/VM® Systems Management Application Programming Interface (API), a programming interface to manage many aspects of a z/VM system. The interface is based on the Open Network Computing Remote Procedure Call (ONC/RPC) protocol, a platform-independent and language-neutral protocol for remote procedure execution defined in RFC1831.

ONC/RPC offers programmers the freedom to choose many supported platforms and languages when developing system management applications for z/VM. Operation of the Systems Management API relies on a z/VM virtual machine (VSMSERVE by default) that listens for incoming RPC requests. Authorized requests are either processed by VSMSERVE, or passed to the z/VM directory management system.

The Systems Management API is TCP/IP-based and provides a rich set of functions to handle many aspects of z/VM management, such as:

Creating and deleting virtual machines

Defining guest storage

Changing permission classes and modifying passwords

Granting guest access to devices

Creating, modifying, and deleting z/VM virtual networks (VM guest LAN and VSWITCH)

Introduction

System requirements

Configuring the Systems Management API

Systems Management API theory of operation

Using Remote Tea to generate Java source files

Basic Systems Management API structure

Establishing a Systems Management API connection

Using Systems Management API procedure calls

System Management API information for C programmers

Additonal material