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200-901 Practice Question: A developer is building a chatbot that retrieves…
A developer is building a chatbot that retrieves interface status from a Cisco Catalyst 9000 switch using RESTCONF. Which authentication method is most appropriate for programmatic access?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that RESTCONF requires OAuth or API keys because it is a RESTful API, but in reality, IOS XE devices rely on traditional AAA and HTTP Basic Auth over HTTPS for programmatic access.
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
✓
HTTP Basic Authentication over HTTPS.
RESTCONF on Cisco Catalyst 9000 switches supports HTTP Basic Authentication over HTTPS as a straightforward, standards-based method for programmatic access. Basic authentication sends the username and password in the HTTP Authorization header, and when combined with HTTPS, the credentials are encrypted in transit, providing adequate security for device management without requiring additional infrastructure like an OAuth provider or certificate authority.
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 Basic Authentication over HTTPS.
Why this is correct
RESTCONF on Cisco devices supports basic auth over HTTPS.
- ✗
API key passed in the HTTP header.
Why it's wrong here
RESTCONF does not use API keys.
- ✗
OAuth 2.0 with client credentials grant.
Why it's wrong here
OAuth 2.0 is not supported on network devices.
- ✗
Client certificate authentication.
Why it's wrong here
Not commonly used with RESTCONF.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-901 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 200-901 exam.