YANG Boot Camp

The YANG Gang

IETF 71
NETCONF Modeling Language
 NETCONF base protocol (rfc 4741)
 RPC mechanism and operations
 Left content and data models for future work
• Operations allow any XML
• <get>, <get-config> and <edit-config>

Mgmt Application

YANG modules
Devices
 YANG is ….

 A NETCONF modeling language

 Think SMI for NETCONF
 Models semantics and data organization
 Syntax falls out of semantics
 Able to model config data, state data,
RPCs, and notifications
 Based on SMIng syntax
 Text-based
• Email, patch, and RFC friendly
YANG Concepts

Standard Proprietary
Models Models

config data RPCs notifications

containers

leafs

types
 YANG ....

 Directly maps to XML content (on the wire)

 Extensible
 Add new content to existing data models
• Without changing the original model
 Add new statements to the YANG language
• Vendor extensions and future proofing
 Preserves investment in SNMP MIBs
 libsmi translates MIBs to YANG
 See tools at www.yang-central.org
 Semantics and syntax

Semantic
World YANG

Syntactic
XML Schema Relax-NG Anything Else
World

Out
Legacy tools
Validation going
XML
 YANG values ....

 Readers and reviewers time and learning curve

 Readability is highest priority
 Limited Scope
 Doesn't boil the ocean
 Maximize utility within that scope
 Can be extended in the future
 Experience gained by existing implementations
 Based on four proprietary modeling languages
• Years of experience within multiple vendors
 Quality draft backed by running code
 Modules and submodules
 Header statements
 yang-version, namespace, prefix
 Linkage statement
 import and include Mod1 Import
 Meta information Include Mod2
 organization, contact
SubA
 Revision history
 revision Include

SubX SubY SubZ

module acme-module {
namespace "http://acme.example.com/module";
prefix acme;

import "yang-types" {
prefix yang;
}
include "acme-system";

organization "ACME Inc.";

contact joe@acme.example.com;
description "The module for entities
implementing the ACME products";

revision 2007-06-09 {
description "Initial revision.";
}
…
}
 The "leaf" Statement
 A leaf has
 one value
 no children
YANG Example:
 one instance
leaf host-name {
type string;
mandatory true;
config true;
description "Hostname for this system";
}
NETCONF XML Encoding:

<host-name>my.example.com</host-name>
 The "leaf-list" Statement
 A leaf-list has
 one value
YANG Example:  no children
leaf-list domain-search {
 multiple instances
type string;
ordered-by user;
description "List of domain names to search";
}

NETCONF XML Encoding:

<domain-search>high.example.com</domain-search>
<domain-search>low.example.com</domain-search>
<domain-search>everywhere.example.com</domain-search>
 The "container" Statement
 A container has
YANG Example:
 no value
container system {
container services {  holds related children
container ssh {  one instance
presence "Enables SSH";
description "SSH service specific configuration";
// more leafs, containers and stuff here...
}
}
} May have specific meaning
NETCONF XML Encoding: (presence)
<system>
Or may simply contain
<services> other nodes
<ssh/>
</services>
</system>
 The "must" Statement
 Constrains nodes by
container timeout {
XPath expression
leaf access-timeout {
description "Maximum time without server response";
units seconds;
mandatory true;
type uint32;
}
leaf retry-timer {
description "Period to retry operation";
units seconds;
type uint32;
must "$this < ../access-timeout" {
error-app-tag retry-timer-invalid;
error-message "The retry timer must be "
+ "less than the access timeout";
}
}
}
 The "list" Statement  A list is
 uniquely identified
by key(s)
YANG Example:
 holds related
children
list user {  no value
key name; NETCONF XML Encoding:
 multiple instances
leaf name {
type string; <user>
} <name>glocks</name>
leaf uid { <full-name>Goldie</full-name>
type uint32; <class>intruder</class>
} </user>
leaf full-name { <user>
type string; <name>snowey</name>
} <full-name>Snow</full-name>
leaf class { <class>free-loader</class>
type string; </user>
default viewer; <user>
} <name>rzull</name>
} <full-name>Repun</full-name>
</user>
 The "augment" Statement
YANG Example:
augment system/login/user {
leaf expire {
type yang:date-and-time;
}
} 
NETCONF XML Encoding:
 Extends data model
 Current or imported
modules
 Inserts nodes
 Into an existing hierarchy
Nodes appear in current
module's namespace
 Original (augmented)
module is unchanged

<user>
<name>alicew</name>
<class>drop-out</class>
<other:expire>2112-04-01T12:00:00</other:expire>
</user>
 The "when" Statement
YANG Example:
 Makes sparse
augment system/login/user { augmentation
when "class = wheel";
leaf shell {
 Nodes are only
type string; added when
} condition is true
}  "when" is XPath
expression
NETCONF XML Encoding:

<user>
<name>alicew</name>
<class>wheel</class>
<other:shell>/bin/tcsh</other:shell>
</user>
 Built-in types

Category Types
Integral {,u}int{8,16,32,64}
String string, enumeration, boolean
Binary Data binary
Bit fields bits
References instance-identifier, keyref
Other empty
 Derived types
YANG Example:
 Constraints
typedef percent {
 range
type uint16 {
range "0 .. 100";  length
}  pattern
description "Percentage";
} • regex
 A modules may use
leaf completed {
type percent; types imported from
}
NETCONF XML Encoding:
other modules

<completed>20</completed>
 The "union" type
YANG Example:  Allows a leaf to
leaf limit {
contain a
description "Number to allow"; superset of
type union {
type uint16 { types
range "0 .. 100";
}
type enumeration {
enum none {
NETCONF XML Encoding:
description "No limit";
}
<limit>none</limit>
}
}
} NETCONF XML Encoding:

<limit>20</limit>
 The "grouping" Statement
 Defines a reusable
YANG Example collection of nodes
grouping target {  Use multiple times
leaf address {  A modules may use
type inet:ip-address; groupings imported
description "Target IP address";
from other modules
}
leaf port {  Refinement
type inet:ip-port;
description "Target port number";  Use as structure,
} record, or object
}
container peer { NETCONF XML Encoding:
container destination {
uses target; <peer>
} <destination>
} <address>192.0.2.1</address>
<port>22</port>
</destination>
</peer>
 The "choice" Statement
 Allow only one member
of the choice to exist in a
YANG Example:
valid config datastore
choice transfer-method {
leaf transfer-interval {
description "Frequency at which file transfer happens";
type uint {
range "15 .. 2880";
}
units minutes;
}

leaf transfer-on-commit {
description "Transfer after each commit";
type empty;
NETCONF XML Encoding:
}
}
<transfer-on-commit/>
 The "anyxml" Statement
YANG Example:  Allows arbitrary
anyxml software-version {
XML content to be
description "Number to allow"; carried in YANG-
}
based models
 Opaque
 Limited operations
NETCONF XML Encoding:
• Bulk only
<software-version>
<base>A10.2</base>
<routing>B4.2</routing>
<snmp>C87.12</snmp>
</software-version>
 The "rpc" Statement
rpc activate-software-image {
input {  Defines RPC
leaf image-name {  method names
type string;
}  input parameters
}  output parameters
output {
leaf status {
type string;
}
}
<rpc xmlns="urn:mumble">
}
<activate-software-image>
<image-name>image.tgz</image-name>
</activate-software-image>
</rpc>
 The "notification" Statement

 Defines notification
YANG Example:  Name
 Content
notification link-failure {
description "A link failure has been detected";
leaf if-index {
type int32 { range "1 .. max"; }
}
leaf if-name {
type keyref {
path "/interfaces/interface/name";
}
}
}
 Semantic Differentiators

 Notice that YANG is modeling the semantics and data

organization
 Not just the syntax
Statement Purpose
unique Ensure unique values within list siblings
keyref Ensure referential integrity

config Indicate if a node is config data or not

default Supply default value for leafs

error-app-tag Define the tag used when constraint fails

error-message Define the message used ....

mandatory Node must exist in valid config datastore

Tools (yang-central.org)

 pyang (python)
 Validates YANG
 Translates between YANG and YIN (XML)
 Generates XSD
 yangto (binary)
 Validates YANG
 Generates XSD, dependencies, etc
 libsmi
 Translates SMI/SMIv2 MIBs to YANG
 Other goodies
 Emacs mode
What can you do to help?

 Read the draft

 There's a lot more in there
 Join the mailing list
 yang@ietf.org
 https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/yang

 Try out the tools

 www.yang-central.org
 Tutorial (this) at:
 http://www.yang-central.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/YangTutorials