What are REST APIs primarily used for in Cisco SD-WAN?

REST APIs are primarily used in Cisco SD-WAN for securely gathering and sending information due to their lightweight, stateless communication model, which is ideal for interacting with web services. REST (Representational State Transfer) relies on standard HTTP methods (such as GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to facilitate operations between clients and servers, making it easy to retrieve and update configurations, status, and telemetry data in a network environment.

In the context of Cisco SD-WAN, REST APIs enable seamless integration with other systems and applications, allowing for efficient data sharing and communication. This is crucial for tasks like resource management, monitoring, and management automation, making it easier for network administrators to maintain and optimize their networks.

While configuring network settings and monitoring traffic load can also involve APIs, these functions are more specific and typically fall under the broader capability of gathering and sending information. Packet inspection usually pertains to traffic analysis at a deeper level and is not a primary function associated with REST APIs in an SD-WAN context. Thus, the role of REST APIs in SD-WAN primarily revolves around collecting, transmitting, and managing data securely across the network.