Simply providing access to a networking device over a command line or web interface just isn’t enough anymore. Many organizations now want to extend and integrate with their networking gear, which is a trend that Riverbed is embracing with its new Flyscript effort.
Flyscript is an umbrella effort across the Riverbed portfolio, initially providing REST-based APIs as well as a Python SDK to enable developers to extend and integrate with specific Riverbed technologies.
Christopher White, senior director, Riverbed Technology Council, explained to Enterprise Networking Planet that Flyscript builds on an existing effort at Riverbed. For the past 10 years, the Stingray product has had a technology called TrafficScript that enables developers to extend that platform. Riverbed acquired the Stingray technology in July 2011, when it bought technology vendor Zeus.
Riverbed is now taking that same basic idea of extensible APIs and bringing it to the Cascade Profiler and Cascade Shark networking profiling and monitoring devices.
Python SDK
Going beyond just the availability of REST APIs, Riverbed is now also providing a Python SDK that will enable developers to more rapidly make use of the APIs.
“In about 10 lines of python code, you can do something interesting,” White said. “The Python code framework leverages the REST APIs and you don’t have to care about the gory details, as the python library takes care of that for you.”
The large library of existing Python packages will also enable users of Riverbed’s Python SDK for Flyscript to more easily build applications.
Though Riverbed is now announcing Flyscript, the the technology is not yet available on Riverbed’s core Steelhead WAN optimization appliance technology. White noted that Riverbed’s corporate direction is to provide REST APIs for other products in the portfolio over time.
Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at InternetNews.com, the news service of the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.
