350-601 Automation Practice Question
Ansible playbook that deploys VLANs on NX-OS fails on a particular switch with 'privilege escalation required'. What should be checked first?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between authentication (ansible_user/ansible_password) and authorization (ansible_become_password), leading candidates to mistakenly check SSH credentials or inventory syntax instead of the privilege escalation password.
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 'ansible_become_password' or 'enable' password in the playbook
The error 'privilege escalation required' indicates that Ansible cannot execute commands with the necessary elevated privileges on the NX-OS switch. In Ansible, privilege escalation is handled via the 'become' mechanism, and for network devices like NX-OS, the 'ansible_become_password' (or 'enable' password) is required to enter privileged EXEC mode. Without this password, Ansible remains in user EXEC mode, which lacks the authority to apply VLAN configurations.
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 'host_key_checking' setting
Why it's wrong here
This is for SSH key verification, not privilege.
- ✓
The 'ansible_become_password' or 'enable' password in the playbook
Why this is correct
This is required for privilege escalation on NX-OS.
- ✗
The 'ansible_user' variable
Why it's wrong here
ansible_user is for login, not privilege escalation.
- ✗
The inventory file syntax
Why it's wrong here
Inventory syntax errors cause different failures.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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