Structure1: $VAR1 = { 'debugfile' => '/tmp/foo.debug', 'server' => { 'kalahari' => { 'osversion' => '2.0.34', 'osname' => 'linux', 'address' => [ '10.0.0.103', '10.0.1.103' ] }, 'sahara' => { 'osversion' => '2.6', 'osname' => 'solaris', 'address' => [ '10.0.0.101', '10.0.1.101' ] }, 'gobi' => { 'osversion' => '6.5', 'osname' => 'irix', 'address' => [ '10.0.0.102' ] } }, 'logdir' => '/var/log/foo/' }; Structure2: $VAR1 = { 'debugfile' => '/tmp/foo.debug', 'server' => [ { 'osversion' => '2.6', 'osname' => 'solaris', 'address' => [ '10.0.0.101', '10.0.1.101' ], 'attr' => 'sahara' }, { 'osversion' => '6.5', 'osname' => 'irix', 'address' => [ '10.0.0.102' ], 'attr' => 'gobi' }, { 'osversion' => '2.0.34', 'osname' => 'linux', 'address' => [ '10.0.0.103', '10.0.1.103' ], 'attr' => 'kalahari' } ], 'logdir' => '/var/log/foo/' };