What is Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF)?

Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF), like SNMP, is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard for network management. NETCONF is defined by IETF Request for Comments (RFC) 4741 and 4742 (Version 1), later updated by RFC 6241 and 6242 (Version 1.1).

NETCONF is primarily intended for use as a device configuration mechanism, whereas SNMP is most commonly used for monitoring, polling, and fault notification. Both protocols report management information that is useful to NNMi.

NNMi uses NETCONF to collect information about the device during discovery or rediscovery (in other words, read-only information). NNMi does not use NETCONF to modify device configurations or to monitor status or performance metrics.

NETCONF is an XML-formatted command-and-response protocol that runs primarily over Secure Shell (SSH) transport. The NETCONF protocol is similar in some ways to traditional device console Command Line Interface (CLI), except that the XML-formatted commands and results are designed for management applications, rather than human interaction with the device.

NETCONF is a relatively new management protocol; therefore, it is not as widely available across device vendors as compared to SNMP.

If a vendor implements NETCONF in a device that NNMi is managing , note the following:

• NETCONF commands are generally more vendor specific and are not as well publicized as the many standard and vendor-specific MIBs in SNMP. Consequently, the ability for NNMi to make use of NETCONF is still quite limited.
• Where a specific vendor implements NETCONF in its devices and reports the management information that NNMi needs, you must add that device-specific NETCONF support in NNMi. See Enabling and Configuring Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) in a Managed Device and Configuring Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) Device Credentials in NNMi for more information.