Modern network devices expose REST APIs returning JSON. Configuration as code lives in YAML files. This chapter teaches the bare minimum to read and write both, plus a worked REST GET against a NetForge-like device.
REST = HTTP verbs against resources. GET retrieves, POST creates, PUT replaces, PATCH updates a part, DELETE removes. The response is usually JSON. Status codes follow HTTP: 2xx success, 3xx redirect, 4xx client mistake (401 = auth, 404 = missing), 5xx server error.
GET /restconf/data/interfaces/interface=Gi0%2F0
Authorization: Basic <base64>
Accept: application/yang-data+json
200 OK
{ "ietf-interfaces:interface": {
"name": "Gi0/0",
"enabled": true,
"ietf-ip:ipv4": { "address": [{ "ip": "10.0.0.1", "netmask": "255.255.255.0" }] }
}}Curly braces are objects (key-value pairs). Square brackets are arrays. Strings are quoted. Numbers and booleans are not. JSON is what most APIs return.
{
"hostname": "R1",
"interfaces": [
{ "name": "Gi0/0", "ip": "10.0.0.1", "prefix": 24, "up": true },
{ "name": "Gi0/1", "ip": "10.0.1.1", "prefix": 24, "up": false }
]
}1 more section in this chapter, plus a 3-question quiz.
You can see the title, summary, learning objectives and the opening sections. The rest of this chapter, like all of modules 2–8, comes with the Course & Lab Pass and All-Access Max. A free account opens Module 1: Network Foundations end-to-end and saves your labs — start there, no card required.
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