350-501 Automation and Quality of Services Practice Question
An SP uses NSO for automation. Which TWO protocols can NSO use as southbound interfaces to communicate with network devices? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between protocols that NSO uses natively as southbound interfaces (NETCONF, RESTCONF) versus protocols that are merely supported by devices but not used by NSO for configuration automation, such as SNMP or plain HTTP.
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
✓
RESTCONF
RESTCONF is a southbound interface that NSO uses to communicate with network devices. It is a RESTful protocol that uses HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to access YANG-defined data models, making it suitable for modern programmable devices. NSO leverages RESTCONF to configure and manage devices that support this protocol, providing a standardized, stateless interface for automation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
RESTCONF
Why this is correct
Correct; RESTCONF is also southbound.
- ✓
NETCONF
Why this is correct
Correct; NETCONF is a southbound protocol.
- ✗
gRPC
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect; gRPC is not standard NSO southbound.
- ✗
SNMP
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect; SNMP is not typically used for configuration in NSO.
- ✗
HTTP
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect; plain HTTP is not a standard southbound.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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