200-901 Infrastructure and Automation Practice Question
A developer is writing a Python script that must authenticate to the Cisco DNA Center REST API and create a new site. The script stores the controller hostname, username, and password in environment variables. Which approach correctly obtains the authentication token required for subsequent API calls?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming the token endpoint accepts credentials in a JSON body or as query parameters, when Cisco DNA Center actually requires HTTP Basic authentication.
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
✓
Send a POST request to /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token with HTTP Basic authentication using the username and password, then read the 'Token' field from the JSON response.
Cisco DNA Center authenticates API clients by exchanging HTTP Basic credentials for a time-limited token. The client posts to /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token, and the controller returns a JSON object whose 'Token' field is then used in the X-Auth-Token header. This is the only supported pattern among the choices, so the script must follow it to create sites successfully.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Send a POST request to /api/v1/token with the username and password in a JSON body, then read the 'access_token' field from the JSON response.
Why it's wrong here
This endpoint and response field belong to a generic OAuth-style API, not Cisco DNA Center. The platform uses its own token path under /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token and returns a 'Token' field, so a script coded against /api/v1/token will receive an error and never obtain a usable token.
- ✗
Send a POST request to /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token with the username and password in a JSON body, then read the 'Token' field from the JSON response.
Why it's wrong here
Although the endpoint and response field are correct, Cisco DNA Center expects the credentials in an HTTP Basic Authorization header, not in the request body. Sending them as JSON causes the controller to reject the request with an authentication error, so no token is issued to the script.
- ✓
Send a POST request to /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token with HTTP Basic authentication using the username and password, then read the 'Token' field from the JSON response.
Why this is correct
Cisco DNA Center issues tokens through the /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token endpoint. The client must supply HTTP Basic credentials, and the JSON response contains a 'Token' value that is then placed in the X-Auth-Token header for later calls. This matches the documented authentication flow for the platform.
- ✗
Send a GET request to /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token with the username and password as query parameters, then read the 'Token' field from the JSON response.
Why it's wrong here
Token creation on Cisco DNA Center is not a GET operation and credentials are not passed as query parameters. Even if a GET returned a token, placing credentials in the URL would expose them in logs and is not how the platform authenticates, so this approach fails against a real controller.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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.