Request Configuration Data Using the Junos XML Protocol
In a Junos XML protocol session with a device running
Junos OS, to request configuration data for a routing, switching,
or security platform, a client application encloses the <get-configuration> element in an <rpc> tag. By setting optional attributes, the client application can
specify the source and formatting of the configuration information
returned by the Junos XML protocol server. By including the appropriate
optional child tag elements, the application can request the entire
configuration or specific portions of the configuration. The basic
syntax is as follows:
<rpc>
<!-- If requesting the complete configuration -->
<get-configuration [optional attributes]/>
<!-- If requesting part of the configuration -->
<get-configuration [optional attributes]>
<configuration>
<!-- tag elements representing the data to return -->
</configuration>
</get-configuration>
</rpc>To view configuration data in a specific instance of the
ephemeral configuration database, a client application must open the
ephemeral instance using the <open-configuration> operation with the appropriate child tags before executing the <get-configuration> request.
Starting in Junos OS Release 13.1, within a Junos XML
protocol session, a logical system user can use the Junos XML protocol <get-configuration> operation to request specific logical
system configuration hierarchies using child configuration tags as
well as request the entire logical system configuration. When requesting
the entire logical system configuration, the RPC reply includes the <configuration> root tag. Prior to Junos OS Release 13.1,
the <configuration> root tag was omitted.
The Junos XML protocol server encloses its reply in an <rpc-reply> tag element. It includes attributes
with the junos: prefix in the opening <configuration> tag to indicate when the configuration
was last changed or committed and the user who committed it (the attributes
appear on multiple lines in the syntax statement only for legibility).
For more information about the attributes, see Specifying the Source for Configuration Information
Requests in a Junos XML Protocol Session.
<rpc-reply xmlns:junos="URL">
<!-- If the application requests Junos XML tag elements -->
<configuration junos:(changed | commit)-seconds="seconds" \
junos:(changed | commit)-localtime="YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss TZ" \
[junos:commit-user="username"]>
<!-- Junos XML tag elements representing configuration elements -->
</configuration>
<!-- If the application requests formatted ASCII text -->
<configuration-text>
<!-- formatted ASCII configuration statements -->
</configuration-text>
<!-- If the application requests configuration mode set commands -->
<configuration-set>
<!-- configuration mode commands -->
</configuration-set>
<!-- If the application requests JSON format -->
<configuration-json>
<!-- JSON configuration data -->
</configuration-json>
</rpc-reply>If a Junos XML tag element is returned within an <undocumented> tag element, the corresponding configuration
element is not documented in the Junos OS configuration guides or
officially supported by Juniper Networks. Most often, the enclosed
element is used for debugging only by support personnel. In a smaller
number of cases, the element is no longer supported or has been moved
to another area of the configuration hierarchy, but appears in the
current location for backward compatibility.
When displaying operational or configuration data that contains characters outside the 7-bit ASCII character set, Junos OS escapes and encodes these character using the equivalent UTF-8 decimal character reference. For more information see Understanding Character Encoding on Devices Running Junos OS.
For reference pages for the <configuration>, <configuration-json>, <configuration-set>, <configuration-text>, and <undocumented> tag elements,
see the Junos XML API Operational Developer Reference.
If the client application locks the candidate configuration before making requests, it needs to unlock it after making its read requests. Other users and applications cannot change the configuration while it remains locked. For more information, see Locking and Unlocking the Candidate Configuration or Creating a Private Copy Using the Junos XML Protocol.
The following topics describe how a client application specifies the source, format, and amount of information returned by the Junos XML protocol server:
Specifying the Source for Configuration Information Requests in a Junos XML Protocol Session
Specifying the Output Format for Configuration Data in a Junos XML Protocol Session
Specifying the Scope of Configuration Data to Return in a Junos XML Protocol Session
Applications can also request other configuration-related information, including an XML schema representation of the configuration hierarchy or information about previously committed configurations. For more information, see the following:
Retrieving a Previous (Rollback) Configuration Using the Junos XML Protocol
Retrieving the Rescue Configuration Using the Junos XML Protocol
Comparing the Active or Candidate Configuration to a Prior Version Using the Junos XML Protocol
Comparing Two Previous (Rollback) Configurations Using the Junos XML Protocol
Requesting an XML Schema for the Configuration Hierarchy Using the Junos XML Protocol