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CCNP Practice Question: An engineer is using a Python script to configure…
An engineer is using a Python script to configure a new VLAN on a Cisco Nexus 9000 switch using the NX-API REST API. The script sends a POST request to 'https://switch/api/mo/org.json' with a JSON payload containing the VLAN configuration. The switch responds with a 403 Forbidden error. What is the most likely cause?
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
✓
The user account does not have the required RBAC privileges to configure VLANs.
A 403 Forbidden error indicates that the server understood the request but refuses to authorize it. In NX-API, this often occurs when the user does not have sufficient privileges to perform the operation. The engineer should check that the user account used for authentication has the necessary RBAC roles to configure VLANs.
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 payload format is incorrect; the engineer must use XML instead of JSON.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because NX-API supports both JSON and XML; format does not cause a 403 error.
- ✓
The user account does not have the required RBAC privileges to configure VLANs.
Why this is correct
Correct because 403 indicates authorization failure; the user needs appropriate privileges.
- ✗
The switch does not support NX-API; the engineer must use NETCONF instead.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because Nexus 9000 supports NX-API; the error is authorization-related.
- ✗
The URI is incorrect; the correct URI should be 'https://switch/api/node/mo/org.json'.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because the URI '/api/mo/org.json' is correct for NX-API; a wrong URI would result in a 404 error.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.