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Lenovo XCLarity

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Overview

Lenovo XClarity Administrator is Lenovo’s centralised hardware management appliance. It runs as a virtual appliance inside the data centre and takes ownership of Lenovo ThinkSystem and ThinkAgile servers, Flex System chassis and the components mounted in them. Once an endpoint is managed, XClarity keeps a live inventory of it: machine type and model, serial number, firmware levels, health and power state, and the rack, chassis and bay it physically occupies. It also holds the firmware compliance policies and the configuration patterns used to drive settings onto the hardware.

The ReadyWorks connector talks to the XClarity Administrator REST API. It offers one authentication method, HTTP Basic with a username and password, sent against the API Domain you supply. Every shipped job is a plain GET against a single XClarity inventory resource (/nodes, /chassis, /switches and so on), and the JSON that comes back is written to a staging table named with an lxca_ prefix. There is no token exchange and no session to maintain, so each job authenticates and reads in one pass.

In a ReadyWorks context this supplies the physical layer beneath everything virtual. Node, chassis and switch inventory gives you serial numbers and warranty identifiers for refresh and decommission planning, the compliance jobs tell you which managed devices are running firmware below their assigned policy, and the cabinet view places each device in a rack so a data centre move or a rack power event can be scoped to the workloads it touches. Joined to a hypervisor connector, it lets you trace a virtual machine down to the Lenovo node and chassis carrying it.

The connector is declared bidirectional and the outbound job form is enabled, but no outbound templates ship with it. As delivered it is an inbound feed. Sending anything back to XClarity means authoring an outbound job yourself.

NOTE: All 18 inbound templates ship with Enabled set to No. Nothing runs until you review each job and turn on the ones you want.

Connector Properties

Property Value
Identifier LENOVO XCLARITY
Name Lenovo XClarity
Description Connector for processing Lenovo XClarity data.
Job Types Both Inbound and Outbound
Order 90
Enabled Yes
Locked Yes
Block Update No
Single Authentication No
Windows Only No
Connector Version 2025-11-18
Hooks None
Additional Job Fields None
Image

Authentication Methods

The connector offers a single authentication method. XClarity Administrator accepts HTTP Basic credentials directly on its REST API, so no separate token call is needed.

Method Identifier Base Method Script Order Enabled Config Fields
Basic Authorization: Username / Password LENOVO XCLARITY_e5d63e15ae JSON Rest API_user json_rest_api.php 70 Yes 5

NOTE: Both the authentication call and the data calls run with certificate verification disabled (SSL_VERIFYHOST and SSL_VERIFYPEER are off). XClarity appliances are normally deployed with a self-signed certificate, so this is what makes the connection work out of the box. If you have replaced the appliance certificate with one issued by a trusted CA, the connector still will not validate it.

Method 1: Basic Authorization: Username / Password (LENOVO XCLARITY_e5d63e15ae)

Connect to a GET method API with a username / password

Sends an Authorization: Basic header built from the username and password saved on the connection, Base64 encoded at run time. Use a dedicated XClarity user account with a read-only or supervisor-equivalent role that has visibility of every managed endpoint, since the inventory jobs return only what that account is authorised to see. The same header is used on every call, so there is no session to expire mid-run.

Connection Configuration Fields (5)

Order Label Type Required Default Max Len Tooltip
10 API Domain text Yes 255 Enter API domain of the Connection
30 Server Temporary Working Path text Yes storage/etl5 255 Enter path where temporary files are stored during data processing (exclude starting and ending backslash)
40 Username text Yes 1024 Enter username of the Connection
50 Password password Yes 64000 Enter password of the Connection
250 Additional Job Fields fields_list No Enter list of additional fields to add to staging data for all jobs

Authentication Configuration

Headers sent on the authentication call:

Header Value Base64
Content-Type: application/json Off
Authorization: Basic %user_name%:%user_pass% On

cURL options:

Option Authentication Call Data Calls
USERAGENT Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; Win64; x64; rv:47.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/47.0 Same
SSL_VERIFYHOST false Same
SSL_VERIFYPEER false Same
RETURNTRANSFER true Same
FOLLOWLOCATION true Same
FAILONERROR true Same

Inbound Job Fields Enabled (44)

The inbound job form exposes the standard REST job fields: endpoint, return data node, pagination, three levels of enumeration, and the staging table the response lands in.

Order Label Type Required Default Tooltip
10 Job Description text Yes Enter description of the Job
20 Job Schedule lookup Yes Daily Select frequency Job should run
30 Enabled radio Yes Yes Choose if Job is enabled
40 Use Unparsed Data radio No No Choose if you wish to parse the incoming data, or leave it in its raw format
50 Log Raw API Calls radio Yes No Choose if raw API calls are logged
70 Destination Table text Yes Enter name of the destination table
80 Data Identity text No Enter identity of the Job
120 Append New Data to Existing Tables radio No No Choose if new data will append to the existing destination table, or will create a new destination table
130 Fields to Index text No Enter fields to index
170 Method Type select Yes GET Select method type of the Job
190 API End Point text No Enter API end point of the Job
200 API Data Parameters fields_list No Enter API data parameters of the Job
210 Body Data Sending Method select Yes JSON Encoded Data Select method for sending the body data
220 Raw JSON Body Data textarea No Enter the raw JSON body to send. Do not use body selections in the API Parameters if this is used.
230 API Return Data Node text No Enter API return data node of the Job
250 Pagination Type select No None Select request paging type of the Job
270 API Pagination Node text No Enter API pagination node of the Job
280 Pagination Offset Start text No Enter request paging offset start of the Job
290 Pagination Limit text No Enter request pagination limit of the Job
300 Pagination Termination Node text No Enter request paging termination node and value of the Job
310 Maximum API Calls text No Enter maximum number of API calls for the Job to make
320 Enumeration 1 Type select No None Enter enumeration level 1 type
330 Enumeration 1 ETL Job lookup No Select ETL job for the enumeration values
340 Enumeration 1 Data Type data_type No Select the data type and fields for enumeration 1 values
350 Enumeration 1 Keys End Point text No Enter enumeration 1 keys end point of the Job
360 Enumeration 1 Node text No Enter enumeration 1 node of the Job
370 Enumeration 1 Fields fields_list No Enter enumeration 1 fields of the Job
380 Enumeration 2 Type select No None Enter enumeration level 2 type
390 Enumeration 2 ETL Job lookup No Select ETL job for the enumeration 2 values
400 Enumeration 2 Data Type data_type No Select the data type and fields for enumeration 2 values
410 Enumeration 2 Keys End Point text No Enter enumeration 2 keys end point of the Job
420 Enumeration 2 Node text No Enter enumeration 2 node of the Job
430 Enumeration 2 Fields fields_list No Enter enumeration 2 fields of the Job
440 Enumeration 3 Type select No None Enter enumeration level 3 type
450 Enumeration 3 ETL Job lookup No Select ETL job for the enumeration 3 values
460 Enumeration 3 Data Type data_type No Select the data type and fields for enumeration 3 values
470 Enumeration 3 Keys End Point text No Enter enumeration 3 keys end point of the Job
480 Enumeration 3 Node text No Enter enumeration 3 node of the Job
490 Enumeration 3 Fields fields_list No Enter enumeration 3 fields of the Job
500 Pause Enumeration text No Enter values for pausing enumeration every X calls for Y seconds
510 Kill Enumeration on Error radio No No Choose to stop the enumeration loop on an error or continue processing the loop
520 Additional Fields fields_list No Enter list of additional fields to add to staging data
550 Retry Pause text No Enter values for retrying a failed API connection. Retry X times, waiting Y seconds between each try, with an API timeout of Z seconds.
560 Order text Yes Enter order of the Job

Outbound Job Fields Enabled (13)

Order Label Type Required Default Tooltip
10 Job Description text Yes Enter description of the Job
30 Enabled radio Yes Yes Choose if Job is enabled
50 Log Raw API Calls radio Yes No Choose if raw API calls are logged
170 Method Type select Yes GET Select method type of the Job
180 Data Sending Method select Yes JSON Encoded Data Select method for sending the outbound data
190 API End Point text No Enter API end point of the Job
200 API Data Parameters fields_list No Enter API data parameters of the Job
210 Body Data Sending Method select Yes JSON Encoded Data Select method for sending the body data
260 Return Data Fields List fields_list Yes Enter return data fields of the Job
530 Outbound Fields List fields_list Yes Enter outbound fields of the Job
540 Ignore Empty Outbound Fields radio No Yes Ignore, and do not include, any outbound fields that are empty and have no data
550 Raw JSON Outbound Template textarea No Enter the raw JSON outbound template to send. This will replace any automated structures defined in the outbound fields.
560 Order text Yes Enter order of the Job

Inbound Job Templates (18)

Eighteen inbound templates ship, one per XClarity Administrator inventory resource plus a blank scaffold. All of them are GET calls on a Daily schedule, and all of them ship disabled. None sets a return data node, so the whole JSON document is parsed and the top-level collection becomes the rows of the destination table.

# Job Description Destination Table API End Point Enabled What It Pulls
1 Cabinet lxca_cabinet /cabinet/view No The rack and cabinet layout XClarity holds: each defined cabinet, its height in rack units, and the chassis, rack-mounted servers and switches placed in it with their unit positions. This is what gives a device a physical location rather than just an identity.
2 Canisters lxca_canisters /canisters No The canister modules installed in managed storage enclosures, with slot position, part and serial number, firmware level and operational state.
3 Chassis lxca_chassis /chassis No Flex System chassis inventory: chassis model, serial number, management IP, overall health, and the bay map showing which node, switch or power module occupies each slot.
4 CMMs lxca_cmms /cmms No The Chassis Management Modules that manage each Flex System chassis, with firmware level, network address, and whether the module is acting as primary or standby.
5 Compliance Policies lxca_compl_pol /compliancePolicies No The firmware compliance policies defined in XClarity: the policy name, the device types it applies to, and the firmware levels it pins each component to.
6 Compliance Policies Applicable Firmware lxca_compl_pol_appl_fw /compliancePolicies/applicableFirmware No The firmware packages currently available in the XClarity repository that can be selected into a policy, listed per device type. Use it to see what a device could be moved to, as opposed to what it is on now.
7 Compliance Policies Compare Results lxca_compl_pol_cmp_res /compliancePolicies/compareResult No A device-by-device comparison of installed firmware against the policy assigned to that device, showing the compliance verdict and the component levels behind it.
8 Compliance Policies Persisted Result lxca_compl_pol_pers_res /compliancePolicies/persistedResult No The stored result of the last compliance evaluation per device. It returns the same shape of verdict as the compare job without forcing XClarity to recompute, which makes it the cheaper of the two to run on a schedule.
9 Fans lxca_fans /fans No Cooling fan modules across managed chassis and servers, with slot, part and serial number, speed and health state.
10 Fan Muxes lxca_fan_muxes /fanMuxes No Fan mux modules, the logic and power distribution boards that drive the fan zones in a chassis, with slot, part number and state.
11 Nodes lxca_nodes /nodes No The core inventory job. Every server XClarity manages, with machine type and model, serial number, UUID, host name and management IP, processor and memory configuration, installed firmware levels, power and health state, and the chassis and bay the node sits in.
12 Patterns lxca_patterns /patterns No Server configuration patterns, the reusable templates XClarity uses to push UEFI, boot order, management controller and adapter settings onto hardware, including which pattern targets which device type.
13 Power Supplies lxca_power_supplies /powerSupplies No Power supply units across managed chassis and servers, with slot, part and serial number, wattage rating and operational state.
14 Profiles lxca_profiles /profiles No Server profiles, the instances of a configuration pattern that have been assigned to a specific node or bay, with the assignment state and the pattern each one derives from. This is how you tell what settings a given node is actually meant to be running.
15 Scalable Complexes lxca_scalable_complex /scalableComplex No Multi-node scalable systems, showing which physical nodes are joined into a single scalable complex and how they are partitioned.
16 Storage lxca_storage /storage No Managed storage enclosures and arrays, with model, serial number, controller detail and drive bay population.
17 Switches lxca_switches /switches No Managed network switches, both Flex System embedded switches and rack switches, with model, serial number, firmware level, management address and port inventory.
18 Rest GET API api_data Not set No A blank scaffold with no endpoint set, writing to a generic api_data table. Copy it when you need to pull an XClarity resource that has no shipped template of its own.

Job Template Configuration

Settings Common to All Eighteen Templates

Setting Value
Order 10
Enabled No
Job Schedule Daily (15 1 * * *)
Allow Empty Table Yes
Append Files to Same Destination Table No
Append New Data to Existing Tables No
Use Unparsed Data No
Convert UUID-Keyed Objects to Rows No
Ignore XML Attributes No
Log Raw API Calls No
Method Type GET
Body Data Sending Method JSON Encoded Data

Settings That Vary by Template

Template ID Destination Table Data Identity API End Point
Cabinet 88 lxca_cabinet /cabinet/view
Canisters 89 lxca_canisters /canisters
Chassis 90 lxca_chassis /chassis
CMMs 91 lxca_cmms /cmms
Compliance Policies 92 lxca_compl_pol /compliancePolicies
Compliance Policies Applicable Firmware 93 lxca_compl_pol_appl_fw /compliancePolicies/applicableFirmware
Compliance Policies Compare Results 94 lxca_compl_pol_cmp_res /compliancePolicies/compareResult
Compliance Policies Persisted Result 95 lxca_compl_pol_pers_res /compliancePolicies/persistedResult
Fans 96 lxca_fans /fans
Fan Muxes 97 lxca_fan_muxes /fanMuxes
Nodes 98 lxca_nodes /nodes
Patterns 99 lxca_patterns /patterns
Power Supplies 100 lxca_power_supplies /powerSupplies
Profiles 101 lxca_profiles /profiles
Scalable Complexes 102 lxca_scalable_complex /scalableComplex
Storage 103 lxca_storage /storage
Switches 104 lxca_switches /switches
Rest GET API 105 api_data api_data Not set

NOTE: The compliance jobs overlap deliberately. Compliance Policies gives you the policy definitions, Compliance Policies Compare Results and Compliance Policies Persisted Result give you the per-device verdicts, and Compliance Policies Applicable Firmware gives you the upgrade targets. Enable the persisted-result job for routine reporting and reserve the compare job for on-demand checks.

Outbound Job Templates (0)

No outbound templates ship with this connector. The outbound job form is enabled, so you can author your own, but nothing is written back to XClarity by default.

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