In one embodiment, a method includes processing network data models at a network device operating in a network comprising a plurality of network components, each of the network components associated with one of the network data models, performing semantic matching at the network device for at least two of the network data models, the semantic matching comprising computing labels for elements of the network data models utilizing label computation algorithms configured for notational conventions used in the network data models, computing contexts for the elements based on a hierarchy of each of the network data models, removing one or more of the labels used to form the contexts to create reduced contexts, and computing a semantic relationship for the reduced contexts of the network data models. The network data models are mapped at the network device based on the semantic matching for use in a network application. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.