This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure and automation. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 network administrator is tasked with automating the deployment of a new VLAN configuration across a fabric of Cisco ACI switches. Which automation tool is best suited for interacting with the APIC REST API?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Bash scripting with curl
Why wrong: Bash scripting with curl can work but is less maintainable and lacks Ansible's idempotence.
Chef
Why wrong: Chef is less commonly used for network automation and lacks ACI-specific support.
Puppet
Why wrong: Puppet is configuration management tool but not as well-suited for ACI as Ansible.
Ansible
Ansible has built-in ACI modules that simplify interactions with the APIC.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Ansible
Ansible is the best-suited tool because it provides a dedicated module (cisco.aci.aci_rest) that directly interacts with the APIC REST API, allowing declarative automation of VLAN and other ACI configurations. Unlike generic scripting, Ansible abstracts the HTTP requests and handles idempotency, authentication, and error handling natively for the ACI fabric.
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.
Bash scripting with curl
Why it's wrong here
Bash scripting with curl can work but is less maintainable and lacks Ansible's idempotence.
Chef
Why it's wrong here
Chef is less commonly used for network automation and lacks ACI-specific support.
Puppet
Why it's wrong here
Puppet is configuration management tool but not as well-suited for ACI as Ansible.
Ansible
Why this is correct
Ansible has built-in ACI modules that simplify interactions with the APIC.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that any scripting tool (like Bash with curl) is sufficient for automation, but the key is choosing a tool with native, purpose-built modules for the specific API, not just the ability to make HTTP requests.
Detailed technical explanation
The APIC REST API uses JSON over HTTPS, and Ansible's aci_rest module sends POST/GET/DELETE requests to the APIC's /api/ path, handling the required authentication token (via the 'validate_certs' and 'username/password' parameters) and returning structured results. In a real-world scenario, Ansible playbooks can be integrated with CI/CD pipelines to push VLAN changes across multiple tenants and EPGs, ensuring consistent state without manual curl scripts that risk syntax errors or missing error handling.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A help-desk technician troubleshoots why a newly connected PC cannot reach shared printers on the same floor. The cable is good, the switch port is active, but the PC is in VLAN 20 and the printers are in VLAN 10. The uplink trunk only allows VLAN 10. A trunk being up does not mean every VLAN crosses it.
What to study next
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FAQ
Infrastructure and Automation — This question tests Infrastructure and Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Ansible — Ansible is the best-suited tool because it provides a dedicated module (cisco.aci.aci_rest) that directly interacts with the APIC REST API, allowing declarative automation of VLAN and other ACI configurations. Unlike generic scripting, Ansible abstracts the HTTP requests and handles idempotency, authentication, and error handling natively for the ACI fabric.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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