What is RESTCONF primarily used for?

RESTCONF is primarily used as an HTTP-based protocol that facilitates access to data defined in YANG (Yet Another Next Generation). This protocol is designed specifically for network management and allows developers to interact with network devices programmatically through RESTful APIs.

By leveraging RESTCONF, users can perform operations such as retrieving configuration data, modifying device settings, and managing network services using standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. YANG models define the structure of the data and the corresponding data types, allowing for a consistent and hierarchical representation of the network resources being managed. This integration of REST principles with YANG models supports automation and programmability, which are essential in modern network environments.

The other alternatives do not accurately describe RESTCONF. Managing IP addressing is not the primary focus of RESTCONF; rather, it concerns accessing and manipulating structured data. While a command-line interface allows for configuration, RESTCONF is geared toward API-based management rather than traditional CLI methods. Traffic analysis in networks pertains to monitoring and analytics, which is outside the scope of what RESTCONF is designed to facilitate.