WEBVTT 1 00:00.000 --> 00:04.360 So friends, let's take a look at some other file formats, namely XML. 2 00:04.360 --> 00:09.220 And one that we have briefly looked at, this one is YAML but we'll look at it 3 00:09.220 --> 00:10.560 in a little bit more detail. 4 00:10.560 --> 00:15.860 So let's first start off with XML. So this is known as the Extensible Markup 5 00:15.860 --> 00:16.560 Language. 6 00:16.560 --> 00:20.820 Now one thing to note about XML is that there is an extensive use, if you will 7 00:20.820 --> 00:21.680 excuse the pun, 8 00:21.680 --> 00:25.800 an extensive use of these particular arrows, see this year. 9 00:25.800 --> 00:28.560 Here we have our opening arrow and our closing arrow. 10 00:28.560 --> 00:32.160 In XML, speak, these are basically referred to as tags. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 10 00:28.560 --> 00:32.160 In XML, speak, these are basically referred to as tags. 11 00:32.160 --> 00:36.720 And pretty much these tags are used to describe the structure of our data. 12 00:36.720 --> 00:40.270 And then within the tags, we're going to have actual data that we can work with 13 00:40.270 --> 00:40.480 . 14 00:40.480 --> 00:44.630 Now one thing to state is XML is apparently human readable, at least it was 15 00:44.630 --> 00:45.280 designed to be, 16 00:45.280 --> 00:49.920 but in my opinion, I think it is an absolute headache to look at. 17 00:49.920 --> 00:54.240 Okay, okay, I must admit, you still can read the data, especially if you only 18 00:54.240 --> 00:55.840 have a little bit of it. 19 00:55.840 --> 01:00.200 But honestly, if you get a really large set of data and it's all formatted in WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 19 00:55.840 --> 01:00.200 But honestly, if you get a really large set of data and it's all formatted in 20 01:00.200 --> 01:00.640 XML, 21 01:00.640 --> 01:04.190 trying to read it yourself, I'm man, you're just asking for a migraine, it 22 01:04.190 --> 01:06.480 really is quite a lot. 23 01:06.480 --> 01:10.270 Now the reason why I'm even bringing this up is that it happens to be the file 24 01:10.270 --> 01:10.800 format 25 01:10.800 --> 01:13.360 utilized in the netcon protocol pretty much. 26 01:13.360 --> 01:16.400 This is one of the more modern interfaces for network automation. 27 01:16.400 --> 01:20.380 And later on within this course, we will actually look at netcon in a little 28 01:20.380 --> 01:21.280 bit more detail. 29 01:21.280 --> 01:24.560 So really all I'm doing is planting a seed and prepping the ground, 30 01:24.560 --> 01:27.950 kind of slowly introducing you into the concept of what we're talking about 31 01:27.950 --> 01:28.400 here. 32 01:28.400 --> 01:31.600 So let me just briefly show you how the data would look. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 32 01:28.400 --> 01:31.600 So let me just briefly show you how the data would look. 33 01:31.600 --> 01:34.720 This time not formatted in JSON, but instead XML. 34 01:34.720 --> 01:37.920 Okay, okay, so this is pretty much the same information once again. 35 01:37.920 --> 01:42.240 You can see the extensive use of these arrows, which ultimately make your tags 36 01:42.240 --> 01:43.280 notice this, okay? 37 01:43.280 --> 01:44.800 Here's the key distinction of XML. 38 01:44.800 --> 01:48.880 We have our opening tag, for example, so we have a little arrows, then the tag 39 01:48.880 --> 01:49.280 within, 40 01:49.280 --> 01:53.520 that is the opening tag, and then the corresponding closing tag is pretty much 41 01:53.520 --> 01:53.920 the same, 42 01:53.920 --> 01:55.760 but it also has a forward slash in it. 43 01:55.760 --> 01:56.480 See that right there? 44 01:56.480 --> 02:00.110 So this one opens it, and when we add the forward slash, that is the one to WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 44 01:56.480 --> 02:00.110 So this one opens it, and when we add the forward slash, that is the one to 45 02:00.110 --> 02:00.560 close it. 46 02:00.560 --> 02:04.080 And anything within here is ultimately this set of data. 47 02:04.080 --> 02:06.480 So pretty much here is the VLANs right here. 48 02:06.480 --> 02:08.960 We can see the opening tag for the name, the closing tag. 49 02:08.960 --> 02:12.480 Inside, we actually have data, which is the name marketing. 50 02:12.480 --> 02:15.520 Again, we have an opening tag of number, closing tag of number. 51 02:15.520 --> 02:19.840 Inside within once again, we have our value, the number 10. 52 02:19.840 --> 02:21.680 Same thing is true for SVI. 53 02:21.680 --> 02:25.040 Here's the closing tag, and here is the data for IP address and subnet mask, 54 02:25.040 --> 02:28.800 and again, if I just happen to say, for example, scroll on out a little bit. 55 02:28.800 --> 02:29.840 We can see the data right here. 56 02:29.840 --> 02:34.120 Now, one thing to note about XML is once again, it is not dependent on white WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 56 02:29.840 --> 02:34.120 Now, one thing to note about XML is once again, it is not dependent on white 57 02:34.120 --> 02:34.400 space, 58 02:34.400 --> 02:36.640 and it does not care about indentation. 59 02:36.640 --> 02:40.610 So whilst this has been rather neatly formatted, I suppose neatly in a loose 60 02:40.610 --> 02:41.600 sense of the word, 61 02:41.600 --> 02:45.520 to have this type of nested hierarchical structure, this is not actually a 62 02:45.520 --> 02:46.480 feature of XML, 63 02:46.480 --> 02:49.440 it doesn't actually mandate that this data has to be this way. 64 02:49.440 --> 02:52.000 In fact, what I could do is encourage it. 65 02:52.000 --> 02:54.720 As you could easily have all your data just like this, 66 02:54.720 --> 02:57.440 no indentation, because like I say, it does not actually matter. 67 02:57.440 --> 02:58.640 XML does not care. 68 02:58.640 --> 03:01.440 This is just as valid as the previous layout. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 68 02:58.640 --> 03:01.440 This is just as valid as the previous layout. 69 03:01.440 --> 03:05.940 It's just a little bit more difficult for us as humans to eyeball and read this 70 03:05.940 --> 03:06.720 information. 71 03:06.720 --> 03:09.680 But crucially, like I say, it doesn't break the actual data. 72 03:09.680 --> 03:11.600 Now, one thing I will say about XML, 73 03:11.600 --> 03:14.320 is when it comes to having data stored in this format, 74 03:14.320 --> 03:17.840 that is a super, do-per-powerful and efficient way to query 75 03:17.840 --> 03:21.360 very particular piece of information held in this format. 76 03:21.360 --> 03:24.480 And this is something known as X-path filtering. 77 03:24.480 --> 03:27.680 Now, I'm not going to go into the details of X-path, it can be quite involved, 78 03:27.680 --> 03:28.960 it can be quite detailed. 79 03:28.960 --> 03:32.640 But just understand, despite the fact that this looks like a bit of a mess, WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 79 03:28.960 --> 03:32.640 But just understand, despite the fact that this looks like a bit of a mess, 80 03:32.640 --> 03:37.040 programmatically, we can draw all sorts of correlations between very particular 81 03:37.040 --> 03:37.680 pieces of data 82 03:37.680 --> 03:41.040 within here and parse out information super precisely. 83 03:41.040 --> 03:44.960 So what I'm saying here is, is that it does have some very particular benefits. 84 03:44.960 --> 03:48.400 Okay, so that will do us from now on XML, we don't want to get a headache. 85 03:48.400 --> 03:50.320 Let's look at the more friendly one. 86 03:50.320 --> 03:52.320 This time we'll look at YAML data. 87 03:52.320 --> 03:56.800 Okay, okay, here is the same information, structured, utilising YAML. 88 03:56.800 --> 03:58.240 Now, how much nicer does this look? 89 03:58.240 --> 04:00.160 How much easier is this on the eye? WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 89 03:58.240 --> 04:00.160 How much easier is this on the eye? 90 04:00.160 --> 04:03.600 After looking at XML, this is like getting a good massage, honestly. 91 04:03.600 --> 04:04.960 It's just so much better. 92 04:04.960 --> 04:08.560 Okay, so big difference between JSON and XML with YAML, 93 04:08.560 --> 04:11.200 YAML is super sensitive to white space. 94 04:11.200 --> 04:13.360 If you happen to change the indentation, 95 04:13.360 --> 04:17.360 you can very easily break your YAML or at least completely alter the way the 96 04:17.360 --> 04:18.720 data has been structured. 97 04:18.720 --> 04:23.200 So white space and as we can see here, indentation is obviously very important. 98 04:23.200 --> 04:26.720 Now, one thing to state here with respect to JSON and YAML, 99 04:26.720 --> 04:28.400 both are fairly human readable. 100 04:28.400 --> 04:31.680 YAML being more so in my opinion, more people's opinion. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 100 04:28.400 --> 04:31.680 YAML being more so in my opinion, more people's opinion. 101 04:31.680 --> 04:35.760 Now, one thing you cannot do in JSON is you actually cannot write comments. 102 04:35.760 --> 04:38.160 This is not actually possible within these documents. 103 04:38.160 --> 04:40.800 However, when it comes to YAML, 104 04:40.800 --> 04:43.840 we can absolutely inject comments into our configurations. 105 04:43.840 --> 04:46.960 So this is very, very useful for, say, for example, 106 04:46.960 --> 04:50.820 storing your configuration data, because what you can do is you can annotate 107 04:50.820 --> 04:51.760 this information 108 04:51.760 --> 04:55.600 with some context and not have actually effect the document itself. 109 04:55.600 --> 04:59.680 So, say, for example, what I could do here is add a hash tag that's now known. 110 04:59.680 --> 05:03.280 And anything after here is going to be accepted by YAML as a comment, WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 110 04:59.680 --> 05:03.280 And anything after here is going to be accepted by YAML as a comment, 111 05:03.280 --> 05:04.320 basically ignored. 112 05:04.320 --> 05:07.360 So it's just here for your own context and annotation. 113 05:07.360 --> 05:11.440 So I could annotate this with saying, you know, using private IP addresses, 114 05:11.440 --> 05:12.880 because it's a test. 115 05:12.880 --> 05:16.880 Whatever it may be, maybe you want to say all SVIs, 116 05:16.880 --> 05:20.720 must use the first available address and the network range. 117 05:20.720 --> 05:23.600 The actual examples here are trivial. 118 05:23.600 --> 05:24.560 Doesn't actually matter. 119 05:24.560 --> 05:28.240 The point is is that if you use this particular file format, 120 05:28.240 --> 05:31.520 say, for example, for modeling your configurations, WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 120 05:28.240 --> 05:31.520 say, for example, for modeling your configurations, 121 05:31.520 --> 05:35.520 then say, for example, you want a junior engineer to make an update to the 122 05:35.520 --> 05:36.080 network. 123 05:36.080 --> 05:39.760 What the cool thing is is that the junior engineer can just modify this very 124 05:39.760 --> 05:40.720 readable file. 125 05:40.720 --> 05:43.200 It's much easier for a junior engineer to interpret, 126 05:43.200 --> 05:46.880 but more importantly, we can leave very specific notes about particular 127 05:46.880 --> 05:47.920 configurations 128 05:47.920 --> 05:50.720 that add additional context and give direction. 129 05:50.720 --> 05:51.760 Very, very useful. 130 05:51.760 --> 05:55.040 Now, these three file formats are not the only types you can use for data 131 05:55.040 --> 05:56.000 serialization, 132 05:56.000 --> 05:58.400 but in the world of network automation, 133 05:58.400 --> 06:02.800 JSON, XML and YAML are certainly the most common ones that you're going to see. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 133 05:58.400 --> 06:02.800 JSON, XML and YAML are certainly the most common ones that you're going to see. 134 06:02.800 --> 06:05.040 So it's a good idea to become familiar with them, 135 06:05.040 --> 06:08.400 so that when you inevitably stumble upon these file formats, 136 06:08.400 --> 06:10.800 well, they don't trip you up and confuse you.