YANG Data Modeling Quick Reference

A formal, structured schema defining exactly what valid configuration/operational data looks like for a feature: field names, data types, valid ranges, and hierarchical relationships. Unlike CLI syntax, it's machine-enforceable — both client and device validate against the same schema.

container: a grouping node with no value of its own. leaf: an individual data value. list: repeated entries, each with their own child fields. This tree structure maps naturally onto JSON's nested object/array structure — which is exactly why YANG-modeled data serializes cleanly into RESTCONF's JSON or NETCONF's XML.

Don't assume every device supports every model, or every model revision, uniformly — confirm via the device's actual capability exchange, not assumption. A field valid in one model revision may not exist in another.