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CCNA AI and Network Operations Practice Question
Drag and drop the following steps into the correct order to send a RESTCONF GET request to retrieve interface configuration from a Cisco IOS-XE device and apply a configuration change based on the response.
⚠ Common exam trap
The most common mistake is to create the payload before analyzing the current configuration. Always retrieve the current state first to know exactly what to change.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Send GET request to retrieve current interface configuration
The correct order for a RESTCONF GET request workflow is: first, send a GET request to retrieve the current interface configuration. Second, analyze the JSON/XML response to identify required changes. Third, create the updated configuration payload in JSON or XML format. Finally, apply the configuration change using a PUT or PATCH request. This sequence ensures you read the existing state before modifying it.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Send GET request to retrieve current interface configuration
Why this is correct
The first action in any RESTCONF-based configuration workflow is to issue a GET request against the specific interface's resource URI, such as /restconf/data/ietf-interfaces:interfaces/interface=GigabitEthernet0/1. This retrieves the current running configuration for that interface, which serves as the authoritative baseline for subsequent analysis. The GET response also confirms the exact YANG module namespace and data encoding, providing the correct structure and media type to use when constructing the payload for the update step.
- ✓
Analyze the JSON/XML response to identify required changes
Why this is correct
After retrieving the configuration, you must parse the structured JSON/XML body returned by the GET request to determine the current operational state of the interface. This analysis involves comparing the retrieved attributes (e.g., speed, duplex, IP address) against the intended target configuration to identify which parameters need to be added, removed, or modified. Without this step, you risk constructing a payload that does not accurately reflect the delta between the current and desired state, potentially causing errors or unintended interface resets.
- ✓
Create the updated configuration payload in JSON or XML format
Why this is correct
Based on the analysis of the current configuration, you build a new JSON or XML document that represents the desired final state of the interface. The payload must match the YANG schema exactly, including the correct element/attribute names, mandatory leafs, and the proper namespace or module identifier, otherwise the device will reject the request. For a PUT request, this payload must be a complete representation of the interface configuration; for a PATCH, it should contain only the modified fields to minimize the risk of overwriting unrelated parameters.
- ✓
Apply the configuration change using a PUT or PATCH request
Why this is correct
This step sends the actual configuration update to the device using the HTTP PUT or PATCH method. PUT is used to fully replace an existing resource, meaning you must include every attribute you want to preserve, while PATCH allows you to update only the specific fields that need to change, leaving others untouched. The request must include the appropriate Content-Type header (e.g., application/yang-data+json) and a valid payload that conforms to the YANG model of the interface, ensuring the device accepts the change without validation errors.
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Related to this question
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Network Management Approaches: Device, Cloud, Controller, Automation, and IaC
Key term
Extensible Markup Language
Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup language that defines rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable.
Key term
JSON
JSON is a lightweight, text-based format for storing and exchanging data that is easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate.
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