API or remote CLI to configure pfSense

[shital]

Hi,

I want to configure Firewall, NAT and basic VLAN configuration through either APIs or through script automation.
I am pretty new to pfSense  and have tried few configurations through Web GUI. After searching on Web I did not find anything concrete to achieve this through APIs or using python,SSH scripts. Can you help me providing some pointers on this?

[NOYB]

According to the road map I think it is slated for 3.0.

https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=89436.0

https://blog.pfsense.org/?p=1588

[shital]

Thanks for Sharing info on it.

For now I would like to know any alternative way that I can use to dynamically configure Firewall and NAT rules programmatically.

[NOYB]

Use PhantomJS to programmatically drive web gui.
Though possible probably not very practical.

Write scripts to make desired changes to config.xml and reload.  Very dangerous.  Not recommended.
Back up config, make changes to backed up config, restore config.  Very dangerous.  Not recommended.

Sorry.  Not much help am I.

[shital]

Reload config will interrupt ongoing traffic?

[almabes]

@shital:

Reload config will interrupt ongoing traffic?

I think it requires a reboot, so YES. 
Making a change in the webconfigurator, saving and applying does NOT.  You have to manually kill states to interrupt existing sessions.

[shital]

Thanks a lot for help.

So can I install phantomJs on  pfSense itself?