This 350-401 practice question tests your understanding of automation. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An organization uses Chef to manage network device configurations. A cookbook that configures SNMP community strings is applied to a group of routers. After the run, one router loses SNMP access. The cookbook uses the following resource: snmp_community 'public' do action :remove end. What is the most likely cause of the issue?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The cookbook removed the only configured SNMP community string
Option C is correct because the `snmp_community 'public' do action :remove end` resource explicitly removes the SNMP community string named 'public'. If 'public' was the only SNMP community string configured on the router, its removal would leave the router with no valid SNMP community, causing all SNMP access to be lost. Chef applies the resource as defined; the issue is not a syntax error or misapplication of a different string, but the direct consequence of removing the sole community.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The router's Chef client encountered a syntax error and stopped mid-execution
Why it's wrong here
A syntax error would cause the entire run to fail, not just one resource.
✗
The cookbook accidentally applied a 'private' community string instead of 'public'
Why it's wrong here
The resource explicitly removes 'public', not adds a different one.
✓
The cookbook removed the only configured SNMP community string
Why this is correct
If 'public' was the only community, removing it disables SNMP access.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The cookbook is not idempotent and reapplied the change multiple times
Why it's wrong here
Idempotency would not remove the community; it would ensure the state is as declared.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume the issue is a syntax error or a misapplied community string, but Cisco tests the understanding that Chef resources execute exactly as written, and removing the only SNMP community string will break SNMP access regardless of other factors.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Chef, the `snmp_community` resource is a custom resource that interacts with the device's SNMP configuration, typically by modifying the running-config or startup-config via CLI commands (e.g., `no snmp-server community public` on Cisco IOS). The `:remove` action is designed to delete the specified community string from the device's configuration. In real-world scenarios, network devices often have multiple SNMP community strings for different access levels (read-only, read-write) or for different management stations; removing the only one, especially if it's the read-only community used for monitoring, can cause immediate loss of management visibility.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 350-401 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Automation — This question tests Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The cookbook removed the only configured SNMP community string — Option C is correct because the `snmp_community 'public' do action :remove end` resource explicitly removes the SNMP community string named 'public'. If 'public' was the only SNMP community string configured on the router, its removal would leave the router with no valid SNMP community, causing all SNMP access to be lost. Chef applies the resource as defined; the issue is not a syntax error or misapplication of a different string, but the direct consequence of removing the sole community.
What should I do if I get this 350-401 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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