Network Automation - XML vs YAML

October 15, 2021

Network Automation - XML vs YAML

If you're dealing with network automation, you've probably heard of both XML and YAML file formats. Both are widely used to define data structures for communication between different systems.

In this blog post, we'll compare XML and YAML to help you choose the best option for your network automation needs. We'll look at the differences in syntax, readability, and performance, and provide some real-world examples.

Syntax

One of the primary differences between XML and YAML is their syntax. XML uses a tag-based syntax, where each element is enclosed within tags. For example:

<employee>
  <name>John Smith</name>
  <age>30</age>
  <title>Software Developer</title>
</employee>

YAML, on the other hand, uses a simple indentation-based syntax, where each element is represented by a key-value pair. For example:

employee:
  name: John Smith
  age: 30
  title: Software Developer

While XML has a more verbose syntax, it also has the advantage of being self-descriptive. This means that it's easy to understand the structure of the data just by looking at the tags. YAML is more concise and easier to read, but it may require more context to understand the structure.

Readability

When it comes to readability, YAML is the clear winner. The indentation-based syntax makes it easy to understand the structure of the data, even for someone who is not familiar with the format. XML, on the other hand, can be quite verbose, which makes it harder to read, especially for larger files.

Performance

In terms of performance, there isn't a clear winner between XML and YAML. Both formats are efficient and widely used in network automation. However, YAML has the advantage of being more lightweight and less resource-intensive compared to XML.

According to a benchmark test conducted by Denny Zhang, parsing a YAML file was on average 10 times faster than parsing an equivalent XML file. However, it's worth noting that the results can vary depending on the size of the file and the system specifications.

Real-World Examples

To give you a better idea of how XML and YAML are used in network automation, let's look at some real-world examples.

XML: Cisco's IOS-XR operating system uses XML files to store and exchange configuration data. The XML format allows for complex structures with nested elements, making it easy to define network topologies and device configurations.
YAML: Ansible, a popular network automation tool, uses YAML files to define playbooks, which are a set of instructions for configuring devices. The YAML format makes it easy to read and write complex data structures, which saves time and reduces the risk of errors.

Conclusion

In summary, both XML and YAML have their advantages and disadvantages for network automation. XML has a more self-descriptive syntax, while YAML is more concise and easier to read. YAML is also more lightweight and faster than XML when it comes to parsing large files.

Ultimately, the choice between XML and YAML comes down to personal preference and the specific requirements of your network automation project. You should consider factors such as the complexity of your data structures and the need for readability and performance.

References:

Zhang, D. (2018). XML vs. JSON vs. YAML: Which is Better for Configuration Management?. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/xml-vs-json-yaml-which-better-configuration-management-denny-zhang.