What is the format of the NETCONF message wrapped around requests?

The format of the NETCONF message wrapped around requests is XML format. NETCONF, which stands for Network Configuration Protocol, is primarily built around the use of XML for representing the data being exchanged. The protocol specifies the structure and content of messages, which are structured as XML documents, making it easy to define the configuration data as well as the operations performed on it.

Using XML allows for a flexible and standardized way of encoding configuration data, utilizing namespaces and schema definitions to ensure that the data conforms to expected formats. This is especially important in network environments where consistent and interoperable communication between different devices and systems is crucial.

The other formats listed, such as JSON or Protocol Buffers, are not used in NETCONF communication. While JSON is popular in many RESTful APIs and Protocol Buffers are used for efficient serialization, NETCONF maintains a distinct reliance on XML, aligning with its roots and design purpose focused on configuration management. HTML is primarily a markup language used for web pages and is not suitable for structured data exchange in a network configuration context.