200-901 Cisco Platforms and Development Practice Question
This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of cisco platforms and development. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 automation engineer is tasked with creating a Python script to automatically back up the running configuration of all IOS XE devices in a data center using the Cisco IOS XE REST API. The engineer has credentials for each device and knows the IP addresses. The script uses the requests library and sends a GET request to https://<device-ip>/restconf/data/Cisco-IOS-XE-native:native?content=config. The script runs successfully for some devices but fails with a 401 Unauthorized error for others. The engineer confirms the credentials are correct and the devices are reachable. The working devices are running IOS XE 16.9, while the failing ones are running IOS XE 16.6. The engineer checks the API documentation and finds that RESTCONF is enabled on all devices. However, the engineer notices that the failing devices require a different authentication method. What should the engineer do to fix the authentication for the IOS XE 16.6 devices?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Modify the script to use HTTP Basic Authentication and disable CSRF check on the device.
Option D is correct because IOS XE 16.6 requires HTTP Basic Authentication with the 'Authorization' header, and the RESTCONF API on these older versions also requires disabling the CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) check. The engineer must modify the script to include the 'requests.auth.HTTPBasicAuth' and set the 'X-CSRF-Token' header to 'false' or disable CSRF on the device. This resolves the 401 error while still using RESTCONF.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Switch from HTTPS to HTTP for the failing devices.
Why it's wrong here
HTTP is insecure and not the root cause; the authentication method is the issue.
✗
Use the NETCONF protocol instead of RESTCONF for all devices.
Why it's wrong here
While NETCONF is available, the requirement is to use REST API; switching protocols is a larger change.
✗
Change the URL to use the Cisco IOS XE CLI-based API instead of RESTCONF.
Why it's wrong here
The CLI API is separate; the issue is authentication with RESTCONF.
✓
Modify the script to use HTTP Basic Authentication and disable CSRF check on the device.
Why this is correct
Older IOS XE versions require basic authentication; disabling CSRF check may be necessary.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the version-specific RESTCONF authentication differences, where candidates assume all IOS XE versions use the same authentication method (e.g., token-based), but older versions require Basic Auth and CSRF bypass.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In IOS XE 16.6, RESTCONF uses HTTP Basic Authentication (base64-encoded username:password) and requires the 'X-CSRF-Token' header set to 'fetch' or 'false' to bypass CSRF protection, which is enabled by default. In contrast, IOS XE 16.9+ supports token-based authentication (e.g., OAuth 2.0) and does not require CSRF disabling. The engineer must ensure the script sends the 'Authorization' header with 'Basic <base64>' and the 'X-CSRF-Token: false' header for 16.6 devices.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Cisco Platforms and Development — This question tests Cisco Platforms and Development — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Modify the script to use HTTP Basic Authentication and disable CSRF check on the device. — Option D is correct because IOS XE 16.6 requires HTTP Basic Authentication with the 'Authorization' header, and the RESTCONF API on these older versions also requires disabling the CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) check. The engineer must modify the script to include the 'requests.auth.HTTPBasicAuth' and set the 'X-CSRF-Token' header to 'false' or disable CSRF on the device. This resolves the 401 error while still using RESTCONF.
What should I do if I get this 200-901 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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