Renaming a device via the API

Product support
1

Hey guys,

I was looking for a way to rename my devices in an automated way. I have been using the python SDK with great success and I was wondering if there was a public route for renaming a device.

Thanks,

-Thomas

2

Hello Thomas. The python SDK exposes a function to update the device name (https://www.balena.io/docs/reference/sdk/python-sdk/#function-renameuuid-new_name). Under the hood it simply patches the device resource in the API with the new name, you can see an example in https://www.balena.io/docs/reference/api/resources/device/#rename-device

4

Thank @nazrhom I am not sure how I missed that :confused:

But I have it now! :slight_smile:

Does it also restart the supervisor so the device takes the name or should I do that with the SDK after a rename?

-Thomas

5

Hi,
If you are relying on an env var to be available on your application’s container to get the device name (I guess that you are using the BALENA_DEVICE_NAME_AT_INI), then you should be manually triggering a restart after the rename.

You can use the device application restart method of the python SDK as documented here:
https://www.balena.io/docs/reference/sdk/python-sdk/#function-restartuuid
This simply does a POST to https://api.balena-cloud.com/device/<device_id>/restart , in case you prefer to do this with a simple curl.

7

@thgreasi

That’s correct, I plan on using the name to help tell the devices where they are and who they belong two. As I merge my 30+ applications into 2 or 3 giant applications.

-Thomas

8

That sounds like a good approach.
Keep in mind that you can also use device tags to better organize your fleet and both the node & python SDK provide such operations.
Let me point you to the respective documentation page:
https://www.balena.io/docs/learn/manage/filters-tags/#device-tags

Let us know if you have any further questions.

10

Hey @thgreasi,

I took your suggestions to hard and implemented the python SDK in my application. Sadly, as I use the logging modules, and so does the python-sdk, all my messages get duplicated now.

As the logging module was only used to log all of one line, I submitted a pull request to have it removed and replaces with a simple print statement.

See it here

I think the maintainers are: @xginn8 and @nghiant2710

It would great if it could be approved or another solution suggested.

Thanks!
-Thomas

15

Hey Thomas,

Just want to let you know that, we released the Python SDK v9.0.0 which contains the fix for this issue. Can you please update your SDK and give it a try?

Kind regards,
Trong