CCNP Automation Practice Question
A network engineer is comparing the characteristics of agent-based and agentless automation tools for managing Cisco IOS XE devices. Which two statements accurately describe agentless automation? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is conflating agentless with agent-based tools, or assuming agentless tools provide advanced features like telemetry streaming without extra configuration.
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
✓
Agentless tools often rely on APIs or CLI scraping to push configuration changes.
Agentless automation tools, such as Ansible, do not require software on the managed devices. They communicate over standard protocols like SSH or HTTPS and use APIs or CLI to push changes. This makes them easy to deploy and suitable for multi-vendor environments. The other statements incorrectly attribute agent-based characteristics or overstate capabilities. The correct answers are the ones that accurately reflect how agentless tools operate.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Agentless tools often rely on APIs or CLI scraping to push configuration changes.
Why this is correct
Agentless tools interact with devices using existing interfaces like RESTCONF, NETCONF, or SSH CLI. They may parse CLI output or use structured APIs to apply changes. This approach avoids installing software on devices. This statement is correct and highlights how agentless tools operate.
- ✗
Agentless tools provide real-time telemetry streaming from devices without additional configuration.
Why it's wrong here
Real-time telemetry streaming typically requires an agent or specific configuration on the device, such as model-driven telemetry. Agentless tools do not automatically provide streaming telemetry; they may poll data or use APIs, but streaming often requires additional setup. This statement is incorrect because it overstates the capabilities of agentless tools.
- ✗
Agentless tools are unable to manage devices from multiple vendors.
Why it's wrong here
Agentless tools can manage multi-vendor environments because they rely on standard protocols like SSH, NETCONF, or RESTCONF, which are supported by many vendors. This statement is false; agentless tools are often chosen for their multi-vendor support. Therefore, it is not a correct description.
- ✗
Agentless tools require a persistent agent to be installed on each managed device.
Why it's wrong here
This statement describes agent-based tools, not agentless. Agentless tools by definition do not require an agent on the device. The absence of an agent is what makes them 'agentless'. Therefore, this statement is incorrect and contradicts the concept of agentless automation.
- ✓
Agentless tools typically use SSH or HTTPS to communicate with network devices.
Why this is correct
Agentless automation tools do not require software to be installed on the managed devices. Instead, they leverage existing management protocols such as SSH for CLI-based interaction or HTTPS for RESTCONF. This makes them easier to deploy and maintain because no agent lifecycle management is needed. This statement is correct and describes a key characteristic of agentless tools like Ansible.
About these practice questions
This 350-401 question is part of Courseiva's 1,923-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.