This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of cisco platforms and development. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A developer wants to automate the provisioning of a UCS server using Cisco Intersight. Which authentication method is recommended for programmatic access?
Basic authentication with username and password
Why wrong: Basic authentication is not supported for API access.
API Key with HMAC signing
Intersight recommends API keys with HMAC signing for automated access.
Session token from Intersight UI
Why wrong: Session tokens are temporary and not suitable for automation.
OAuth2 with client credentials
Why wrong: OAuth2 is used for third-party integrations, not native Intersight APIs.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
API Key with HMAC signing
Cisco Intersight recommends API key authentication with HMAC signing for programmatic access because it provides a secure, non-interactive method for automation scripts and tools. The API key consists of a key ID and a secret, and each request must include an HMAC signature generated from the request details, ensuring integrity and authenticity without exposing static credentials over the network.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Basic authentication with username and password
Why it's wrong here
Basic authentication is not supported for API access.
API Key with HMAC signing
Why this is correct
Intersight recommends API keys with HMAC signing for automated access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Session token from Intersight UI
Why it's wrong here
Session tokens are temporary and not suitable for automation.
OAuth2 with client credentials
Why it's wrong here
OAuth2 is used for third-party integrations, not native Intersight APIs.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between interactive (session-based) and non-interactive (API key) authentication, leading candidates to mistakenly choose session tokens or basic auth because they are familiar from other Cisco platforms like UCS Manager or APIC.
Detailed technical explanation
HMAC signing in Intersight works by constructing a canonical request string (including HTTP method, path, query parameters, headers, and body hash), then signing it with the API secret using HMAC-SHA256. The resulting signature is sent in the Authorization header, allowing Intersight to verify the request's origin and integrity without transmitting the secret. This approach is similar to AWS Signature Version 4 and is designed to prevent replay attacks and credential leakage.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Cisco Platforms and Development — This question tests Cisco Platforms and Development — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: API Key with HMAC signing — Cisco Intersight recommends API key authentication with HMAC signing for programmatic access because it provides a secure, non-interactive method for automation scripts and tools. The API key consists of a key ID and a secret, and each request must include an HMAC signature generated from the request details, ensuring integrity and authenticity without exposing static credentials over the network.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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