diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 04c1c0e..3abebfe 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -43,18 +43,25 @@ For each host a list of networking profiles can be configured via the
 - For `nm`, profiles correspond to connection profiles as handled by
   NetworkManager.
 
-Note that the `network` role primarily operates on networking profiles
-(connections) and not on devices, but it uses the profile name by default as
-the interface name. It is also possible to create generic profiles, by creating
-for example a profile with a certain IP configuration without activating the
-profile. To apply the configuration to the actual networking interface, use the
-`nmcli` commands on the target system.
+For each host the network state configuration can also be applied to the interface
+directly via the `network_state` variable, and only the `nm` provider supports using
+the `network_state` variable.
+
+Note that the `network` role both operates on the connection profiles of the devices
+(via the `network_connections` variable) and on devices directly (via the
+`network_state` variable). When configuring the connection profiles through the role,
+it uses the profile name by default as the interface name. It is also possible to
+create generic profiles, by creating for example a profile with a certain IP
+configuration without activating the profile. To apply the configuration to the actual
+networking interface, use the `nmcli` commands on the target system.
 
 **Warning**: The `network` role updates or creates all connection profiles on
 the target system as specified in the `network_connections` variable. Therefore,
 the `network` role removes options from the specified profiles if the options are
 only present on the system but not in the `network_connections` variable.
-Exceptions are mentioned below.
+Exceptions are mentioned below. However, the partial networking configuration can be
+achieved via specifying the network state configuration in the `network_state`
+variable.
 
 Variables
 ---------
@@ -77,6 +84,9 @@ the name prefix. List of variables:
   NetworkManager-wifi is not installed, NetworkManager must be restarted prior
   to the connection being configured. Setting this to `no` will prevent the
   role from restarting network service.
+- `network_state` - The network state settings can be configured in the managed
+  host, and the format and the syntax of the configuration should be consistent
+  with the [nmstate state examples](https://nmstate.io/examples.html) (YAML).
 
 Examples of Variables
 ---------------------
@@ -91,6 +101,20 @@ network_connections:
 network_allow_restart: yes
 ```
 
+```yaml
+network_provider: nm
+network_state:
+  interfaces:
+    - name: eth0
+    #...
+  routes:
+    config:
+      #...
+  dns-resolver:
+    config:
+      #...
+```
+
 Options
 -------
 
@@ -1173,6 +1197,87 @@ network_connections:
       key_mgmt: "owe"
 ```
 
+Examples of Applying the Network State Configuration
+-------------------
+
+Configuring the IP addresses:
+
+```yaml
+network_state:
+  interfaces:
+    - name: ethtest0
+      type: ethernet
+      state: up
+      ipv4:
+        enabled: true
+        address:
+          - ip: 192.168.122.250
+            prefix-length: 24
+        dhcp: false
+      ipv6:
+        enabled: true
+        address:
+          - ip: 2001:db8::1:1
+            prefix-length: 64
+        autoconf: false
+        dhcp: false
+    - name: ethtest1
+      type: ethernet
+      state: up
+      ipv4:
+        enabled: true
+        address:
+          - ip: 192.168.100.192
+            prefix-length: 24
+        auto-dns: false
+        dhcp: false
+      ipv6:
+        enabled: true
+        address:
+          - ip: 2001:db8::2:1
+            prefix-length: 64
+        autoconf: false
+        dhcp: false
+```
+
+Configuring the route:
+
+```yaml
+network_state:
+  interfaces:
+    - name: eth1
+      type: ethernet
+      state: up
+      ipv4:
+        enabled: true
+        address:
+          - ip: 192.0.2.251
+            prefix-length: 24
+        dhcp: false
+
+  routes:
+    config:
+      - destination: 198.51.100.0/24
+        metric: 150
+        next-hop-address: 192.0.2.251
+        next-hop-interface: eth1
+        table-id: 254
+```
+
+Configuring the DNS search and server:
+
+```yaml
+network_state:
+  dns-resolver:
+    config:
+      search:
+        - example.com
+        - example.org
+      server:
+        - 2001:4860:4860::8888
+        - 8.8.8.8
+```
+
 ### Invalid and Wrong Configuration
 
 The `network` role rejects invalid configurations. It is recommended to test the role
diff --git a/examples/network_state.yml b/examples/network_state.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0919c80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/network_state.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+---
+- hosts: all
+  vars:
+    network_state:
+      interfaces:
+        - name: ethtest0
+          type: ethernet
+          state: up
+          ipv4:
+            enabled: true
+            address:
+              - ip: 192.168.122.250
+                prefix-length: 24
+            dhcp: false
+          ipv6:
+            enabled: true
+            address:
+              - ip: 2001:db8::1:1
+                prefix-length: 64
+            autoconf: false
+            dhcp: false
+        - name: ethtest1
+          type: ethernet
+          state: up
+          ipv4:
+            enabled: true
+            auto-dns: false
+            dhcp: true
+          ipv6:
+            enabled: true
+            auto-dns: false
+            dhcp: true
+      routes:
+        config:
+          - destination: 192.0.2.100/30
+            metric: 150
+            next-hop-address: 192.168.122.250
+            next-hop-interface: ethtest0
+            table-id: 254
+      dns-resolver:
+        config:
+          search:
+            - example.com
+            - example.org
+          server:
+            - 2001:4860:4860::8888
+            - 8.8.8.8
+  roles:
+    - linux-system-roles.network
+...
diff --git a/library/network_state.py b/library/network_state.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aac8289
--- /dev/null
+++ b/library/network_state.py
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
+
+__metaclass__ = type
+
+DOCUMENTATION = r"""
+---
+module: network_state
+version_added: "2.9"
+short_description: module for network role to apply network state configuration
+description:
+    - This module allows to apply the network state configuration through nmstate,
+      https://github.com/nmstate/nmstate
+options:
+    desired_state:
+        description: Nmstate state definition
+        required: true
+        type: dict
+author: "Wen Liang (@liangwen12year)"
+"""
+
+RETURN = r"""
+state:
+    description: Network state after running the module
+    type: dict
+    returned: always
+"""
+
+from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
+import libnmstate  # pylint: disable=import-error
+
+
+class NetworkState:
+    def __init__(self, module, module_name):
+        self.module = module
+        self.params = module.params
+        self.result = dict(changed=False)
+        self.module_name = module_name
+        self.previous_state = libnmstate.show()
+
+    def run(self):
+        desired_state = self.params["desired_state"]
+        libnmstate.apply(desired_state)
+        current_state = libnmstate.show()
+        if current_state != self.previous_state:
+            self.result["changed"] = True
+
+        self.result["state"] = current_state
+
+        self.module.exit_json(**self.result)
+
+
+def run_module():
+    module_args = dict(
+        desired_state=dict(type="dict", required=True),
+    )
+
+    module = AnsibleModule(
+        argument_spec=module_args,
+    )
+
+    network_state_module = NetworkState(module, "network_state")
+    network_state_module.run()
+
+
+def main():
+    run_module()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index 336e387..0626be0 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,22 @@
   debug:
     msg: "Using network provider: {{ network_provider }}"
 
+- name: Abort applying the network state configuration if using the
+    `network_state` variable with the initscripts provider
+  fail:
+    msg: Only the `nm` provider supports using the `network_state` variable
+  when:
+    - network_state is defined
+    - network_provider == "initscripts"
+
+- name: Abort applying the network state configuration if the system version
+    of the managed host is below 8
+  fail:
+    msg: The `network_state` variable uses nmstate backend which is only
+      supported since RHEL-8
+  when:
+    - network_state is defined
+    - ansible_distribution_major_version | int < 8
 # Depending on the plugins, checking installed packages might be slow
 # for example subscription manager might slow this down
 # Therefore install packages only when rpm does not find them
@@ -19,6 +35,31 @@
     - not network_packages is subset(ansible_facts.packages.keys())
   register: __network_package_install
 
+- name: Install NetworkManager and nmstate when using network_state variable
+  package:
+    name:
+      - NetworkManager
+      - nmstate
+    state: present
+  when:
+    - network_state is defined
+    - ansible_distribution == 'Fedora' and
+      ansible_distribution_major_version | int > 27 or
+      ansible_distribution != 'Fedora' and
+      ansible_distribution_major_version | int > 7
+
+- name: Install python3-libnmstate when using network_state variable
+  package:
+    name:
+      - python3-libnmstate
+    state: present
+  when:
+    - network_state is defined
+    - ansible_distribution == 'Fedora' and
+      ansible_distribution_major_version | int > 34 or
+      ansible_distribution != 'Fedora' and
+      ansible_distribution_major_version | int > 8
+
 # If network packages changed and wireless or team connections are specified,
 # NetworkManager must be restarted
 - name: Restart NetworkManager due to wireless or team interfaces
@@ -41,7 +82,7 @@
     state: started
     enabled: true
   when:
-    - network_provider == "nm"
+    - network_provider == "nm" or network_state is defined
   no_log: true
 
 # If any 802.1x connections are used, the wpa_supplicant
@@ -84,14 +125,26 @@
     __lsr_ansible_managed: "{{ lookup('template', 'get_ansible_managed.j2') }}"
   register: __network_connections_result
 
-- name: Show stderr messages
+- name: Configure networking state
+  network_state:
+    desired_state: "{{ network_state | default([]) }}"
+  register: __network_state_result
+  when: network_state is defined
+
+- name: Show stderr messages for the network_connections
   debug:
     var: __network_connections_result.stderr_lines
 
-- name: Show debug messages
+- name: Show debug messages for the network_connections
   debug:
     var: __network_connections_result
     verbosity: 1
 
+- name: Show debug messages for the network_state
+  debug:
+    var: __network_state_result
+    verbosity: 1
+  when: network_state is defined
+
 - name: Re-test connectivity
   ping:
diff --git a/tests/ensure_provider_tests.py b/tests/ensure_provider_tests.py
index a6c014c..9d170e7 100755
--- a/tests/ensure_provider_tests.py
+++ b/tests/ensure_provider_tests.py
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ ibution_major_version | int < 9",
         MINIMUM_VERSION: "'1.26.0'",
         "comment": "# NetworkManager 1.26.0 added support for match.path setting",
     },
+    "playbooks/tests_network_state.yml": {
+        EXTRA_RUN_CONDITION: "ansible_distribution_major_version | int > 7",
+    },
     "playbooks/tests_reapply.yml": {},
     "playbooks/tests_route_table.yml": {},
     "playbooks/tests_routing_rules.yml": {},
diff --git a/tests/playbooks/tests_network_state.yml b/tests/playbooks/tests_network_state.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ac775d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/playbooks/tests_network_state.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,218 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+---
+- hosts: all
+
+- name: Test configuring ethernet devices
+  hosts: all
+  vars:
+    type: veth
+    interface0: ethtest0
+    interface1: ethtest1
+
+
+  tasks:
+    - name: "set type={{ type }} and interface={{ interface0 }}"
+      set_fact:
+        type: "{{ type }}"
+        interface: "{{ interface0 }}"
+    - include_tasks: tasks/show_interfaces.yml
+    - include_tasks: tasks/manage_test_interface.yml
+      vars:
+        state: present
+    - include_tasks: tasks/assert_device_present.yml
+    - name: "set type={{ type }} and interface={{ interface1 }}"
+      set_fact:
+        type: "{{ type }}"
+        interface: "{{ interface1 }}"
+    - include_tasks: tasks/show_interfaces.yml
+    - include_tasks: tasks/manage_test_interface.yml
+      vars:
+        state: present
+    - include_tasks: tasks/assert_device_present.yml
+
+
+    - name: Configure the IP addresses
+      import_role:
+        name: linux-system-roles.network
+      vars:
+        network_state:
+          interfaces:
+            - name: ethtest0
+              type: ethernet
+              state: up
+              ipv4:
+                enabled: true
+                address:
+                  - ip: 192.168.122.250
+                    prefix-length: 24
+                dhcp: false
+              ipv6:
+                enabled: true
+                address:
+                  - ip: 2001:db8::1:1
+                    prefix-length: 64
+                autoconf: false
+                dhcp: false
+            - name: ethtest1
+              type: ethernet
+              state: up
+              ipv4:
+                enabled: true
+                auto-dns: false
+                address:
+                  - ip: 192.168.122.88
+                    prefix-length: 24
+                dhcp: false
+              ipv6:
+                enabled: true
+                auto-dns: false
+                dhcp: true
+
+    - name: Get the ethtest0 state configuration
+      command: nmstatectl show ethtest0
+      register: ethtest0_state
+      ignore_errors: yes  # noqa ignore-errors
+      changed_when: false
+
+    - name: Get the ethtest1 state configuration
+      command: nmstatectl show ethtest1
+      register: ethtest1_state
+      ignore_errors: yes  # noqa ignore-errors
+      changed_when: false
+
+    - name: Assert that the ethtest0 state configuration contains the specified
+        settings
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - ethtest0_state.stdout is search("192.168.122.250")
+          - ethtest0_state.stdout is search("2001:db8::1:1")
+        msg: the ethtest0 state configuration does not contain the specified
+          settings
+
+    - name: Assert that the ethtest1 state configuration contains the specified
+        settings
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - ethtest1_state.stdout is search("192.168.122.88")
+        msg: the ethtest1 state configuration does not contain the specified
+          settings
+
+    - name: Configure the route
+      import_role:
+        name: linux-system-roles.network
+      vars:
+        network_state:
+          routes:
+            config:
+              - destination: 192.0.2.100/30
+                metric: 150
+                next-hop-address: 192.168.122.250
+                next-hop-interface: ethtest0
+                table-id: 254
+
+    - name: Get the route configuration
+      command: nmstatectl show
+      register: route
+      ignore_errors: yes  # noqa ignore-errors
+      changed_when: false
+
+    - name: Assert that the route configuration contains the specified route
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - route.stdout is search("destination:(\s+)192.0.2.100/30")
+          - route.stdout is search("metric:(\s+)150")
+          - route.stdout is search("next-hop-address:(\s+)192.168.122.250")
+          - route.stdout is search("next-hop-interface:(\s+)ethtest0")
+          - route.stdout is search("table-id:(\s+)254")
+        msg: the route configuration does not contain the specified route
+
+    - name: Set the DNS processing mode and the resolv.conf management mode
+      lineinfile:
+        path: /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf
+        line: "rc-manager=unmanaged\ndns=systemd-resolved"
+        insertafter: \[main\]
+
+    - name: Restart the NetworkManager
+      service:
+        name: NetworkManager
+        state: restarted
+
+    - name: Install the systemd-resolved
+      package:
+        name: systemd-resolved
+        state: present
+      when:
+        - ansible_distribution_major_version | int > 8
+
+    - name: Enable the systemd-resolved service
+      service:
+        name: systemd-resolved
+        enabled: true
+
+    - name: Configure the DNS
+      import_role:
+        name: linux-system-roles.network
+      vars:
+        network_state:
+          dns-resolver:
+            config:
+              search:
+                - example.com
+                - example.org
+              server:
+                - 2001:4860:4860::8888
+
+    - name: Get the DNS configuration from nmstatectl
+      command: nmstatectl show
+      register: nmstatectl
+      ignore_errors: yes  # noqa ignore-errors
+      changed_when: false
+
+    - name: Get the DNS configuration from the file `/etc/resolv.conf`
+      command: cat /etc/resolv.conf
+      register: resolvconf
+      ignore_errors: yes  # noqa ignore-errors
+      changed_when: false
+
+    - name: Check if `/etc/resolv.conf` is generated by NM
+      command: grep "Generated by NetworkManager" /etc/resolv.conf
+      register: generateByNM
+      ignore_errors: yes  # noqa ignore-errors
+      changed_when: false
+
+    - name: Assert that the nmstatectl contains the specified DNS configuration
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - nmstatectl.stdout is search("example.com")
+          - nmstatectl.stdout is search("example.org")
+          - nmstatectl.stdout is search("2001:4860:4860::8888")
+        msg: the nmstatectl does not contain the specified DNS configuration
+
+    - name: Assert that the file `/etc/resolv.conf` does not contain the
+        specified DNS configuration
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - resolvconf.stdout is not search("example.com") and
+            resolvconf.stdout is not search("example.org") and
+            resolvconf.stdout is not search("2001:4860:4860::8888") or
+            generateByNM.stdout | length == 0
+        msg: the file `/etc/resolv.conf` contains the specified DNS
+          configuration
+
+    - command: resolvectl
+      name: "** TEST check resolvectl"
+      register: result
+      until: "'example.com' in result.stdout"
+      retries: 20
+      delay: 2
+      changed_when: false
+
+    - include_tasks: tasks/delete_interface.yml
+    - include_tasks: tasks/assert_device_absent.yml
+    - name: "set interface={{ interface0 }}"
+      set_fact:
+        type: "{{ type }}"
+        interface: "{{ interface0 }}"
+    - include_tasks: tasks/delete_interface.yml
+    - include_tasks: tasks/assert_device_absent.yml
+...
diff --git a/tests/tests_network_state_nm.yml b/tests/tests_network_state_nm.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df6b2c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tests_network_state_nm.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+# This file was generated by ensure_provider_tests.py
+---
+# set network provider and gather facts
+- hosts: all
+  name: Run playbook 'playbooks/tests_network_state.yml' with nm as provider
+  tasks:
+    - include_tasks: tasks/el_repo_setup.yml
+    - name: Set network provider to 'nm'
+      set_fact:
+        network_provider: nm
+      tags:
+        - always
+
+
+# The test requires or should run with NetworkManager, therefore it cannot run
+# on RHEL/CentOS 6
+- import_playbook: playbooks/tests_network_state.yml
+  when:
+    - ansible_distribution_major_version != '6'
+    - ansible_distribution_major_version | int > 7