Network Programmability with YANG: The Structure of Network Automation with YANG, NETCONF, RESTCONF, and gNMI

Cisco has gone all-in on model-driven management across all major operating systems. Modern versions of IOS-XE, IOS-XR, and NX-OS all support YANG-powered NETCONF with IOS-XE and NX-OS also supporting RESTCONF and IOS-XR supporting gNMI. Moreover, in addition to pushing configuration changes and pulling config and operational state via model-driven protocols, these same platforms support streaming telemetry based on the same YANG data models. The promises of model-driven management with model-driven telemetry include more reliable and scalable configuration changes, real-time collection of operational data, and a true programmatic interface without the need to do any screen-scraping.So how do you, as a customer, get started with this model-driven paradigm to network programmability? How do you determine the right YANG modules to use to perform your configuration tasks and collect your network telemetry? How do you learn the nuances of the various YANG-powered protocols? If you’re an operator who is designing service-level modules to be consumed by you or your customers how do you learn how to create, test, and deploy structurally valid and elegant YANG data models?
“Network Programmability with YANG” is the definitive reference to help you navigate the sea of model-driven management and automation. It introduces YANG as a data modeling languags, describes the protocols based on it, and explores the advantages one gets by embracing this paradigm. The 460 pages book goes on to describe the syntax of YANG modules and how to write clean, descriptive, and well-performing modules of your own. Attention is paid to helping you find the right YANG modules to solve your problems, as well as showing you tools to make using them in your own applications much easier. Finally, each chapter concludes with an interview of industry experts and operators that have already started to walk down the path of model-drive management to give you words of wisdom and expert perspectives to make your journey as successful as possible.

Description

Today, networks must evolve and scale faster than ever. You can’t manage everything by hand anymore: You need to automate relentlessly. YANG, along with the NETCONF, RESTCONF, or gRPC/gNMI protocols, is the most practical solution, but most implementers have had to learn by trial and error. Now, Network Programmability with YANG gives you complete and reliable guidance for unlocking the full power of network automation using model-driven APIs and protocols. Authored by three YANG pioneers, this plain-spoken book guides you through successfully applying software practices based on YANG data models. The authors focus on the network operations layer operations, emphasizing model-driven APIs, and underlying transports. Whether you’re a network operator, DevOps engineer, software developer, orchestration engineer, NMS/OSS architect, service engineer, or manager, this guide can help you dramatically improve value, agility, and manageability throughout your network.

Discover the value of implementing YANG and Data Model-Driven Management in your network
Explore the layers and components of a complete working solution
Build a business case where value increases as your solution grows
Drill down into transport protocols: NETCONF, RESTCONF, and gNMI/gRPC
See how telemetry can establish a valuable automated feedback loop
Find data models you can build on, and evaluate models with similar functionality
Understand models, metadata, and tools from several viewpoints: architect, operator, module author, and application developer
Walk through a complete automation journey: business case, service model, service implementation, device integration, and operation
Leverage the authors’ experience to design successful YANG models and avoid pitfalls

Reference: http://www.informit.com/store/network-programmability-with-yang-the-structure-of-9780135180396

Table of Contents

Introduction xxii1 The Network Management World Must Change: Why Should You Care?    Introduction    The Industry Has Changed: What Are the Trends?    Existing Network Management Practices and Related Limitations    Data Modeling Is Key for Automation    Interview with the Experts    Summary    References in This Chapter    Endnotes 2 Data Model—Driven Management    The Beginning: A New Set of Requirements    Network Management Is Dead, Long Live Network Management    YANG: The Data Modeling Language    The Management Architecture    Data Model—Driven Management Components    The Encoding (Protocol Binding and Serialization)    The Server Architecture: Datastore    The Protocols    The Programming Language    Telemetry    The Bigger Picture: Using NETCONF to Manage a Network    Interview with the Experts    Summary    References in This Chapter    Endnotes 3 YANG Explained    Introduction    Describe Your World of Data    Describing Possible Events    Separating Configuration from Operational Data    Constraints Keep Things Meaningful   Augmenting, Extending, and Possibly Deviating    Network Management Datastore Architecture (NMDA)    Interview with the Expert    Summary    References in This Chapter 4 NETCONF, RESTCONF, and gNMI Explained    Introduction    NETCONF    RESTCONF    OpenConfig and gNMI    Interview with the Expert    Summary    References in This Chapter 5 Telemetry Explained    Introduction    Data Model—Driven Telemetry    Moving Away from SNMP to Telemetry    Telemetry Use Cases    Telemetry Components    Telemetry Standard Mechanisms    Interview with the Experts    Summary    References in This Chapter    Endnotes 6 YANG Data Modeling Developments in the Industry    Introduction    The Beginning: The IETF    Embracing YANG Throughout the Industry    The OpenConfig YANG Model    Industry Coordination Is Required    Interoperability Testing    Implementing More Than One YANG Model for a Specific Functionality    Interview with the Expert    Summary    References in This Chapter    Endnotes 7 Automation Is as Good as the Data Models, Their Related   Metadata, and the Tools: For the Network Architect and Operator   Introduction   Getting to Know the Structure of a YANG Module    Finding the Right Modules Using the YANG Catalog    Interacting with Devices   Interview with the Experts    Summary    Endnotes 8 Automation Is as Good as the Data Models,   Their Related Metadata, and the Tools: For the Module Author    Introduction    Designing Modules    Understanding Your Module’s Impact    Interview with the Expert    Summary    Endnotes 9 Automation Is as Good as the Data Models, Their Related Metadata, and the Tools: For the Application Developer    Introduction    Working with YANG Modules    Interacting with the Network    Making YANG Language Native    Interview with the Expert    Summary    Endnotes 10 Using NETCONF and YANG    Introduction    So the Story Goes    Top-Down Service Model    Bottom-Up Device Templates    Service Logic Connecting the Dots    Setting Up NETCONF on a Device    Discovering What’s on a Device    Managing Services    Manager Synchronization with Devices    Network-Wide Transactions    Interview with the Experts    Summary 11 YANG Model Design    Introduction    Modeling Strategy    YANG Modeling Tips   Common YANG Mistakes    Backward Compatibility   Interview with the Experts    Summary    References in This Chapter