The ABACUS REST API exposes endpoints for querying and modifying an ABACUS Object Model.

The API supports OData V4 query syntax. OData query parameters are optional; however, they offer complex operations including filtering and aggregate queries. See the official OData website for information: https://www.odata.org/

Using the ABACUS REST API

For information about the basic operation of the ABACUS REST API, please refer to the ABACUS Integration Guide which is located in the Manuals directory of your ABACUS installation.

EDM Model

Please refer to the OData Entity Data Model (EDM) metadata for the complete OData v4 data model reference for this API.

The EDM Metadata endpoint can be found at /$metadata relative to the root of the API; for example:

https://example.com/api/$metadata

OData Client Code Generation

It is possible to use a tool to generate a data model from the ABACUS REST API endpoints automatically. Please refer to the following web page to learn more about consuming an OData service using a library: https://www.odata.org/libraries/

OData Expand Option

When querying datasets, it is possible to expand one or more navigation properties.

A navigation property is a reference to a related object. For example, a Component has a ComponentType navigation property.

Navigation properties are not expanded by default. To expand a navigation property, use the $expand={property} query parameter. Example:

https://example.com/api/Components?$expand=ComponentType

To expand navigation properties inside an expanded navigation property, use the nested syntax:

https://example.com/api/Components?$expand=ComponentType($expand=SuperType)

It is also possible to expand all navigation properties by using a wildcard:

https://example.com/api/Components?$expand=*

OData Filtering

It is possible to apply a filter to a query to return a subset of the data at an endpoint. For example, it is possible to list all Components whose name starts with 'Example':

https://example.com/api/Components?$filter=startsWith(name,'Example')

It is possible to filter based on properties within navigation properties without expanding. The following example lists Components whose Component Type's name starts with 'Example':

https://example.com/api/Components?$filter=startsWith(ComponentType/name,'Example')

OData Response Length Limits

When requesting a large collection of entities (that have more than 512 entities), the response will only contain a subset of the requested collection. In this case, the response will have the @odata.nextLink property that contains a URL for the retrival of the next subset of the requested selection. The following example shows a possible value of the @odata.nextLink property:

https://example.com/api/Components?$skip=512

More Information on OData

To learn more about writing OData queries, please refer to the following web page:

https://www.odata.org/getting-started/basic-tutorial/

Copyright

Copyright © 2001 - 2025 Avolution Pty Ltd, related entities and/or licensors. All rights reserved.

Getting Started

To get started with using this API, please consider using an API development tool when learning the endpoints and their responses. We recommended Postman.

Throughout this document, cURL examples are provided for key operations. cURL is a command-line utility, available on Windows and Unix, for making HTTP requests programatically. We provide cURL examples to clarify how requests are to be made to the API.

Example Requests

This section will guide you through a typical procedure of surveying the ABACUS project contents and creating and updating elements of the project.

These examples are designed to work with an ABACUS Console instance (listening at http://localhost:8080/) and with the ABACUS Example Project (Example.abacus). Authentication is not required for this project.

1) Update the project to the latest version

This updates the ABACUS Collaboration Server project to the latest edition.

Note that this will only work when the project is a Collaboration Server project.

curl -X POST \
  http://localhost:8080/Update \
  -H 'Accept: application/json' \
  -d ''

2) List all architectures in the project

This will return all architectures and their sub-architectures recursively.

curl -X GET \
  http://localhost:8080/AllArchitectures \
  -H 'Accept: application/json'

3) List details of the architecture with the EEID "4929"

This will return the details of an architecture with the EEID "4929" (shown in parentheses).

curl -X GET \
  http://localhost:8080/AllArchitectures\(4929\) \
  -H 'Accept: application/json'

4) Create a new component in the architecture with the EEID "4929"

A new component will be created in the Architecture with the EEID "4929", and its type will be the component type with the EEID "13".

curl -X POST \
  http://localhost:8080/Components \
  -H 'Accept: application/json' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "Name": "Example Application Component",
    "Description": "Submitted from the API",
    "ArchitectureEEID": 4929,
    "ComponentTypeEEID": 13
}'

5) Modify the name of the component with the EEID "5507" (the "ABACUS" Application component)

The component's name and description will be changed

curl -X PATCH \
  http://localhost:8080/Components\(5507\) \
  -H 'Accept: application/json' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "Name": "ABACUS (modified)",
  "Description": "Modified from the API"
}'

6) Create a new Interfaces connection from Application 123 to Application 321 in the Production (As-Is) architecture

A new connection will be created. Note that only names are used in this request (no EEIDs).

curl -X POST \
  http://localhost:8080/Connections \
  -H 'Accept: application/json' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "Name": "Example Interfaces Connection",
    "ArchitectureName": "Production (As-Is)",
    "ConnectionTypeName": "Interfaces",
    "SourceComponentName": "Application 123",
    "SinkComponentName": "Application 321"
}'

7) Save changes to the file / commit to Collaboration Server

Once you have finished making changes using the API, you can save your changes (and commit them if the project is a Collaboration Server project).

Note that this operation can take a long time to complete in some projects as simulators and scripts may be required to run.

curl -X POST \
  http://localhost:8080/Commit \
  -H 'Accept: application/json'

(Advanced) List all Applications in the Production architecture whose "Lifecycle|Recommendation" property value is "Retain / Invest", max 10 results

Note that the request path is URL-encoded so that it is compatible with the CLI.

curl -X GET \
  'http://localhost:8080/Components?$filter=ArchitectureName%20eq%20%27Production%20%28As-Is%29%27%20and%20ComponentTypeName%20eq%20%27Application%27%20and%20Properties/any%28prop:%20prop/Type%20eq%20%27Lifecycle%27%20and%20prop/Name%20eq%20%27Recommendation%27%20and%20prop/Value%20eq%20%27Retain%20/%20Invest%27%29&$top=10' \
  -H 'Accept: application/json' 

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