Retrieving configuration data

You can retrieve configuration data using either the <get-config> or <get> RPC. RFC 4741, NETCONF Configuration Protocol specifies that the <get-config> RPC returns only configuration data while the <get> RPC returns configuration data and operational state data.

In the Extreme implementation, the <get> RPC does not return operational state data; Extreme instead provides a set of Custom RPCs and actions for returning operational state data. In the Extreme implementation, the <get-config> and <get> operations are essentially the same. This document will typically refer to the <get-config> operation, though <get> can be used equally.

The following example shows a client message that issues the <get-config> operation in its most basic form. It retrieves the entire running configuration.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rpc message-id="200" xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0">
	<get-config>
			<source>
			<running/>
		</source>
	</get-config>
</rpc>

Such a request, however, typically results in an unwanted or unmanageable amount of output. To restrict the output to the portion of the configuration you want, Extreme supports two types of filtering: subtree filtering and xpath filtering.

For complete details about subtree filtering and xpath filtering, refer to the RFC 4741, The NETCONF Protocol. The following sections provide some examples.