200-901 Infrastructure and Automation Practice Question
A company uses Ansible to automate network configuration. They have an Ansible control node that must reach all network devices. Which transport protocol does Ansible use by default to connect to Cisco IOS devices?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that Ansible uses Telnet or SNMP for legacy device compatibility, but the trap here is that Ansible defaults to SSH for secure, agentless automation, and candidates may confuse Ansible's connection methods with other tools like NETCONF or RESTCONF.
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
✓
SSH
Ansible uses SSH as its default transport protocol to connect to Cisco IOS devices because SSH provides encrypted, secure remote access and is the standard for network device management in modern environments. Ansible's native architecture relies on SSH for agentless communication, executing modules and playbooks over this secure channel without requiring additional software on the target devices.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
HTTP
Why it's wrong here
HTTP is not used for Ansible connections to network devices.
- ✗
Telnet
Why it's wrong here
Telnet is insecure and not the default.
- ✓
SSH
Why this is correct
Ansible uses SSH by default for network devices.
- ✗
SNMP
Why it's wrong here
SNMP is for monitoring, not configuration.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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