Final answer:
The protocol that uses XML and RPC for configuring network devices, typically over SSH, is NETCONF.
Step-by-step explanation:
The protocol being described is NETCONF, which uses XML to encode both the config data as well as the protocol messages and RPC (Remote Procedure Calls) to configure network devices. NETCONF typically runs over Secure Shell (SSH) which is used as the secure transport layer. This protocol is designed to allow for machine-based network configuration and device manipulation, providing better support for configuration management than the older methods such as CLI scripting or SNMP.