TDM Portal API: TDMDataFlowService (Data Flow Controller) usage?

Products

• CA Test Data Manager (Data Finder / Grid Tools)

Issue/Introduction

There may be a need to call existing data generation Self-Services via Portal API from scripts / programmatically. Some Self-Services calls can be accomplished with https://{{URL}}:{{Port}}/TDMJobService/api/ca/v1/jobs, but this TDMDataFlowService (Data Flow Controller) service is different. Information on this s not available, although  this is used by ARD form/flow through Self-Service.

Questions concerning TDM Portal API: TDMDataFlowService (Data Flow Controller)

• Are there any other documents about this, beyond what  is available in Swagger?
• How Portal use this, is this something which is designed also for external usage through API?
• Can this be used for launching Self-Services externally (scripts / programmatically)?
  • https://localhost:8443/TDMDataFlowService/swagger-ui.html#!/data45flow45controller/submitDataFlowRequestUsingPOST
  • See attached document 'TDM Portal API - TDMDataFlowService (Data Flow Controller) usage.docx ' for details. 

Environment

TDM 4.5 Portal/API

Resolution

No other information about TDMDataFlowService at CA is available except what is described in this Swagger link:(https://localhost:8443/TDMDataFlowService/swagger-ui.html#!/data45flow45controller/submitDataFlowRequestUsingPOST).
The only way to understand how this service works is the following:

• Get it working in the TDM Portal.
• Use Chrome browser with its Developer Tools to debug and inspect elements (Ctrl + Shift + J, Ctrl + Shift + C, F12, etc.) when a Self-Service is launched from TDM Portal.
• Capture the output from the Developer Tools.
• Use the captured output to flesh out the parameters needed.  

Summary:  
This is how to prototype API JSON calls.

• Get it working in the Portal first.
• Then follow the steps above to capture the JSON.
• Then modify or parameterize it to meet the needs of the situation.

Additional Information

Video URL on how to open a Support Case - https://communities.ca.com/videos/5898-demo-how-to-open-a-support-case

You can download the latest version of TDM by following the directions in this document: https://support.ca.com/us/knowledge-base-articles.TEC1903942.html.   

To contact support, go to https://www.ca.com/us/services-support/ca-support/contact-support.html.