300-420 Question 296
Select 4A network engineer is tasked with implementing programmatic interfaces to manage network devices in a large enterprise. The engineer needs to choose between NETCONF and RESTCONF for configuration and operational data retrieval. Which of the following statements correctly highlights the differences between NETCONF and RESTCONF?
- A
NETCONF uses XML as its primary encoding format, while RESTCONF supports both XML and JSON.
- B
RESTCONF is inherently stateful, whereas NETCONF is stateless.
- C
NETCONF operates over SSH for secure communication, while RESTCONF typically uses HTTP or HTTPS.
- D
RESTCONF is designed to work natively with RESTful APIs, making it more suitable for web-based integrations compared to NETCONF.
- E
NETCONF supports advanced capabilities like candidate configuration and rollbacks, which RESTCONF does not natively provide.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, C, D, E
Explanation
NETCONF and RESTCONF are both protocols for configuring and managing network devices, but they have distinct design goals and capabilities. NETCONF is focused on robust configuration management with features like candidate configurations and rollbacks, while RESTCONF is designed for simpler and more lightweight web-based integrations using RESTful principles. Understanding these differences allows engineers to choose the appropriate protocol for their specific network management needs.
- A. Correct.
Correct. NETCONF uses XML as its primary data encoding format, while RESTCONF supports both XML and JSON for flexibility in modern web-based environments.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. NETCONF is stateful, as it maintains a session for operations like locking configurations, whereas RESTCONF is designed to be stateless.
- C. Correct.
Correct. NETCONF typically operates over SSH for secure communication, whereas RESTCONF uses HTTP or HTTPS to align with web technologies.
- D. Correct.
Correct. RESTCONF is specifically designed to work with RESTful APIs, making it more suitable for web-based applications and integrations compared to NETCONF.
- E. Correct.
Correct. NETCONF supports advanced features like candidate configurations, commit, and rollback capabilities, which are not natively part of RESTCONF's design.