200-901 Infrastructure and Automation Practice Question
A developer must write a script that retrieves the running configuration from a Cisco IOS XE device using NETCONF. The script establishes an SSH session and begins the NETCONF capability exchange. Which XML element must the client send to request the device's running configuration using the standard NETCONF data model?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is reaching for the simpler <get> operation, which returns operational state as well and is not scoped to configuration data.
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
✓
<get-config> with a <source> of <running/>
NETCONF defines <get-config> specifically for reading configuration from a named datastore, and <running/> identifies the active configuration. The broader <get> returns state data too, while <edit-config> and <copy-config> modify data. Therefore <get-config> with a running source is the correct, standards-based request for retrieving the running configuration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
<get-config> with a <source> of <running/>
Why this is correct
The NETCONF <get-config> operation retrieves configuration data from a specified datastore. Setting <source> to <running/> requests the active running configuration. This is the standards-based approach defined in RFC 6241 and works against IOS XE devices that advertise the :base:1.0 capability during the hello exchange.
- ✗
<edit-config> with a <target> of <candidate/>
Why it's wrong here
<edit-config> is used to modify configuration, not to read it. Targeting the candidate datastore would stage changes for later commit, which is the opposite of the read-only retrieval the developer needs. Using it would risk altering device configuration instead of simply reading it.
- ✗
<copy-config> with a <target> of <startup/>
Why it's wrong here
<copy-config> duplicates an entire configuration datastore to another, for example running to startup. It is a write operation and would overwrite the target datastore. The developer only wants to read the running configuration, so this operation is both incorrect and potentially destructive.
- ✗
<get> with a <filter> of type subtree
Why it's wrong here
The <get> operation returns both configuration and state data from the running datastore, not just configuration. Although a subtree filter can narrow the result, the question asks specifically for configuration retrieval, making <get-config> the precise and correct choice rather than the broader <get>.
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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.