API, CLI, SDK & Automation

Objective

To establish secure API-based connectivity between a local Windows system and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) using the OCI Command Line Interface (CLI) and IAM API signing keys, and to validate access through successful CLI-based OCI service queries.

Environment Details

• Operating System: Windows
• Tool Used: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Command Line Interface
• Authentication Method: IAM API Signing (Public/Private Key Pair)

Prerequisites

• Active Oracle Cloud Infrastructure tenancy
• OCI user with required IAM permissions
• Internet connectivity
• Access to OCI Console

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Access OCI Console and Collect Required Details

Logged into the Oracle Cloud Console and collected the following details from My Profile:

• User OCID

• Tenancy OCID

• Home Region

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  Step 2: Generate API Signing Keys (PEM Format)

• Created an .oci directory on the local system and generated RSA API signing keys in PEM format using ssh-keygen.

• Private Key: oci_api_key

• Public Key: oci_api_key.pub

• Ensured the private key:

• Is in PEM format

• Has no passphrase

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  Step 3: Upload Public Key to OCI IAM

• Navigated to Identity & Security → Domain → Users → API Keys

• Uploaded the generated public key

• Note the fingerprint

Step 4: Create OCI CLI Configuration File

Created the configuration file at:

C:\Users\<Username>\.oci\config

Configured the file with required entries:

• User Ocid
• fingerprint
• Tenancy Ocid
• region
• keyfile

Step 5: Install OCI CLI on Windows

• Installed OCI CLI using the official Windows MSI installer

• Accepted default installation settings

• Verified installation was successful

  

  

  

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  Step 6: Verify OCI CLI Installation

• Executed the following command to confirm installation:

• oci --version

• The command returned the installed OCI CLI version successfully.

  

  Step 7: Validate Connectivity Between Local System and OCI

• Executed OCI IAM and tenancy-level commands to confirm authenticated connectivity:

  Command: - oci iam region list

• Additional validation:

  Command: - oci iam compartment list --compartment-id <TENANCY_OCID> --all

• This command lists all the instances in a compartment in tabular form: - oci compute instance list --compartment-id <COMPARTMENT_OCID> --query "data[].{Name:\"display-name\", State:\"lifecycle-state\", AD:\"availability-domain\"}" --output table

• Successful responses confirmed:

• OCI CLI authentication

• IAM API signing key validation

• Secure communication between local system and OCI services

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  Additional OCI CLI Commands for Exploration

• List all compartments in the tenancy

  command: - oci iam compartment list --compartment-id <tenancy_ocid> --all

• Get details of the authenticated IAM user

  command: - oci iam user get --user-id <user_ocid>

• List availability domains in the region

  command: - oci iam availability-domain list

• List compute instances in a compartment

  command: - oci compute instance list --compartment-id <compartment_ocid>

• List Virtual Cloud Networks (VCNs)

  command: - oci network vcn list --compartment-id <compartment_ocid>

• Validate tenancy access

  command: - oci iam tenancy get --tenancy-id <tenancy_ocid>

• Show configured OCI CLI profiles

  command: - oci setup config --list-profiles

• Display active CLI configuration

  command: - oci setup config –show

• List block storage volumes

  command: - oci bv volume list --compartment-id <compartment_ocid>

• List Object Storage buckets

  command: - oci os bucket list --compartment-id <compartment_ocid> --namespace-name <object_storage_namespace>

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  Result

• OCI CLI successfully authenticated using IAM API signing keys and retrieved OCI service data, confirming secure and functional connectivity between the local Windows system and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

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  Key Learnings

• Learned how OCI IAM uses public keys to authenticate API requests signed locally using a private

• Learned how OCI CLI interacts with OCI services through IAM policies, not through the web console.

• Validated real local system to OCI connectivity using signed REST API calls instead of UI-based access.

• Validated end-to-end local system to OCI connectivity using CLI commands, confirming successful authentication, authorization, and service response.

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  Conclusion

• This implementation demonstrates real, hands-on usage of OCI CLI, IAM authentication, and secure API-based interaction with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. The task validates end-to-end connectivity.

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