Get Your Access Token for the vRealize Automation API

To get the token used to authenticate your session, you use the Identity Service API to get an API token. Then you use the API token as input to the IaaS API to get an access token.

1. Assign values to the variables for the hostname of your vRealize Automation appliance, your user name, and your password.

   identity_service_url='https://<vRA-HOSTNAME>'
   username='<your_username>'
   password='<your_password>'

2. Use the Identity Service API to obtain the API token.
   The API token is also known as the refresh token. It is valid for 90 days and can be used to generate a new access token when the access token expires.

   Note: You cannot revoke the refresh token.

   api_token=`curl -X POST \
     "$identity_service_url/csp/gateway/am/api/login?access_token" \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -d '{
     "username": "'"$username"'",
     "password": "'"$password"'"
   }' | jq -r .refresh_token`

3. Verify the API token variable is assigned.

   echo $api_token

   The token is a compact string of characters.
4. With the API token assigned, use the IaaS API to request the access token.

   access_token=`curl -X POST \
     "$identity_service_url/iaas/api/login" \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -s \
     -d '{
     "refreshToken": "'"$api_token"'"
   }' | jq -r .token`

5. Verify the access token variable is assigned.

   echo $access_token

   The access token is a JSON Web Token. After 25 minutes of inactivity, the access token times out and you must request it again. You can revoke an access token at any time.