MindConnect-NodeJS - Setting up the CLI

The first step is to configure the CLI. For this, you will need application credentials (or deprecated service credentials) from your developer cockpit or SESSION and XSRF-TOKEN from the application you have been developing.

Application Credentials - Recommended
Service Credentials (deprecated)
SESSION and XSRF-TOKEN cookie

Important: the service credentials (which are now deprecated) could only be acquired by emailing MindSphere Support. They are not connected to the Cloud Foundry Service Credentials from MindSphere settings app.

Application Credentials / Service Credentials Configuration

First start the credentials configuration. This will start a web server on your local computer where you can enter the credentials.

# run mc service-credentials --help for full information

$ mc service-credentials
navigate to http://localhost:4994 to configure the CLI
press CTRL + C to exit

Navigate to http://localhost:4994 to configure the CLI. (see full documentation for XSRF-TOKEN and SESSION)

The image below shows the dialog for adding new credentials (press on the + sign in the upper left corner)

CLI

You can get the application credentials from your developer or operator cockpit in MindSphere. (if you don’t have any application you can register a dummy one just for CLI)

CLI

Once configured you can press CTRL + C to stop the configuration server and start using the CLI. Remember the passkey you have created ,as you will be using it with almost all CLI commands.

Passkey as environment variable

If you don’t want to enter your passkey all the time you can also set it up as Environment Variable `MDSP_PASSKEY’

This will save you the typing of the --passkey option most of the time. Remember that this is not as secure as typing it in. Use with care.

Bash:

export MDSP_PASSKEY="my.complex.passkey"

Windows CMD

set "MDSP_PASSKEY=my.complex.passkey"

Windows PowerShell

$Env:MDSP_PASSKEY="my.complex.passkey"

The results of the commands will be colored in magenta if you are using Application of Service Credentials.

Credentials Auth

Example Video (credentials)

This video shows how to set up the CLI using application credentials.

You can also use the SESSION Cookie and XSRF-TOKEN from the application you are developing in the CLI. Just configure following environment variables.

export MDSP_HOST="mytenant-myapp.eu1.mindsphere.io"
export MDSP_SESSION="ZDcyMWVkNjMtYXXXXXXXlkYmQtODYxZDljZjIzOGI1"
export MDSP_XSRF_TOKEN="33771ee2-9650-XXXX-ab73-10f52cad12bf"

Windows CMD

set "MDSP_HOST=mytenant-myapp.eu1.mindsphere.io"
set "MDSP_SESSION=ZDcyMWVkNjMtYXXXXXXXlkYmQtODYxZDljZjIzOGI1"
set "MDSP_XSRF_TOKEN=33771ee2-9650-XXXX-ab73-10f52cad12bf"

Windows PowerShell

$Env:MDSP_HOST="mytenant-myapp.eu1.mindsphere.io";
$Env:MDSP_SESSION="ZDcyMWVkNjMtYXXXXXXXlkYmQtODYxZDljZjIzOGI1";
$Env:MDSP_XSRF_TOKEN="33771ee2-9650-XXXX-ab73-10f52cad12bf";

The results of the commands will be colored yellow if you are using SESSION / XSRF-TOKEN type of authorization.

Cookie Auth

The use of Service or Application credentials always takes precedence over Session Cookie / XSRF-TOKEN Authentication.

MindSphere Authentication Helper

You can use the Mindsphere Auth Helper Chrome extension ( chrome web store ) to simplify the copying of the authentication cookies. The extension already provides the cookies in the proper format for the CLI so that you don’t have to craft the MDSP_HOST, MDSP_SESSION and MDSP_XSRF_TOKEN variable manually.

extension

Example Video (cookies)

This video shows how to set up the CLI using borrowed application cookies.