gNMI - gRPC Network Management Interface

What is gNMI?

gNMI (gRPC Network Management Interface) is a protocol developed by OpenConfig for network management. It allows clients to retrieve and modify configuration, and to receive telemetry data from network devices using gRPC.

Why is gNMI useful?

gNMI is useful for modern network automation and telemetry because it provides a unified interface for both configuration and streaming updates, using efficient and secure communication over gRPC.

How it works?

gNMI works by defining a set of RPC (Remote Procedure Call) methods using gRPC. Clients connect to devices to perform operations like Get, Set, and Subscribe (for telemetry), all using structured, model-driven data.

Where is gNMI used?

gNMI is used in modern network infrastructures, particularly in service providers, data centers, and enterprises adopting network automation and model-driven configuration.

Which OSI layer does this protocol belong to?

gNMI operates at the Application Layer (Layer 7) of the OSI model, as it involves application-level management and configuration.

Is gNMI Windows specific?

No, gNMI is not Windows specific. While client tools can run on Windows, gNMI is used across platforms and is designed to manage network devices regardless of their underlying OS.

Is gNMI Linux specific?

No, gNMI is not Linux specific. It is widely used on Linux-based systems and network operating systems, but it is platform-independent in design.

Which Transport Protocol is used by gNMI?

gNMI uses HTTP/2 over TCP as the transport protocol, implemented via gRPC, which provides bidirectional streaming and efficient communication.

Which Port is used by gNMI?

gNMI does not have a fixed standard port, but commonly uses TCP port 57400. However, this can be configured based on the vendor or deployment.

Is gNMI using client-server model?

Yes, gNMI follows the client-server model where the client (usually a controller or management system) interacts with the server (network device) to retrieve or configure data.

Topics in this section,

  • In this section, you are going to learn

  • Terminology

  • Version Info

  • rfc details

  • setup

  • setup

  • packet details

  • usecases

  • features

  • Reference links