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200-901 Practice Question: A DevOps engineer is designing a REST API for a…
A DevOps engineer is designing a REST API for a custom network automation tool. Which principle is essential for a RESTful design?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that REST APIs can maintain server-side session state (like traditional web apps) or that a single URI with different method names is acceptable, confusing REST with RPC-style designs.
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
✓
Use HTTP methods to perform CRUD operations on resources.
RESTful APIs are designed around resources, and HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH) directly map to CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete). This stateless, resource-oriented approach is a core principle of REST as defined by Roy Fielding's dissertation, enabling uniform interfaces and predictable interactions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Maintain session state on the server between requests.
Why it's wrong here
REST mandates statelessness: each request carries all context, so servers hold no session between calls. Server-side sessions suit traditional stateful web apps with login flows, but they hinder horizontal scaling and fail this API's requirement.
- ✓
Use HTTP methods to perform CRUD operations on resources.
Why this is correct
REST maps create, read, update and delete onto POST, GET, PUT and DELETE against resource URIs, keeping operations stateless and uniform. This constraint is what makes the interface RESTful rather than RPC-style, satisfying the stem's essential design principle.
- ✗
Use a single URI for all operations with different method names.
Why it's wrong here
REST requires distinct URIs per resource, with HTTP methods expressing operations on them. A single endpoint with method names in the payload is RPC-style, which is tempting for action-heavy automation but breaks uniform interface and cacheability.
- ✗
Return XML responses by default for compatibility.
Why it's wrong here
REST does not mandate XML; JSON is the common default, and content negotiation via Accept headers lets clients choose. XML suits legacy SOAP or enterprise systems requiring strict schemas, but forcing it by default ignores the stateless, resource-oriented design the scenario needs.
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