CCNP Automation Practice Question
A network automation engineer is using the Cisco DNA Center Intent API to retrieve a list of all network devices. The engineer needs to authenticate to the API. Which authentication method should be used to obtain a token for subsequent API calls?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that standard authentication methods like Basic auth or OAuth are used directly, when DNA Center requires a specific token retrieval step.
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
✓
POST to the /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token endpoint with Basic authentication.
The Cisco DNA Center Intent API uses token-based authentication. The client must POST to the /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token endpoint with Basic authentication credentials. The response includes a token that is then used in the X-Auth-Token header for subsequent API calls. This is the documented and required method for API access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
OAuth 2.0 client credentials grant flow.
Why it's wrong here
Cisco DNA Center does not use OAuth 2.0 for its Intent API authentication. While OAuth is common for other APIs, DNA Center uses a custom token-based mechanism. The client credentials grant flow is not supported. The correct method involves a dedicated token endpoint.
- ✓
POST to the /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token endpoint with Basic authentication.
Why this is correct
Cisco DNA Center's Intent API requires a POST request to the /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token endpoint, using Basic authentication with the username and password. The response contains a token that must be included in subsequent requests in the X-Auth-Token header. This is the standard authentication flow for the Intent API.
- ✗
API key passed in the X-Auth-Token header.
Why it's wrong here
Cisco DNA Center does not use static API keys. It uses a token-based system where a token is obtained by authenticating with credentials. The X-Auth-Token header is used to pass the token, but the token itself is not an API key. This option confuses the token with an API key.
- ✗
Basic authentication with username and password in the Authorization header.
Why it's wrong here
Basic authentication is not used by Cisco DNA Center's Intent API. While it might work for some legacy APIs, the Intent API requires a token-based authentication. Using Basic auth would fail or be insecure. The correct method is to obtain a token via a separate authentication call.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This 350-401 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-401 exam.