mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
200-901 Practice Question: A network automation engineer is using Ansible to…
A network automation engineer is using Ansible to manage Cisco IOS devices. The playbook includes a task that executes a 'show version' command and registers the output. The engineer then wants to parse the output to extract the IOS version. Which approach should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that raw CLI output must be parsed manually, but the correct approach is to use dedicated facts modules that return structured data, avoiding fragile regex or template-based parsing.
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 the 'cisco.ios.ios_facts' module to get structured facts
The 'cisco.ios.ios_facts' module retrieves structured data from Cisco IOS devices, including the IOS version as a key-value pair in the Ansible facts dictionary. This eliminates the need for manual parsing, as the module uses the device's CLI or NETCONF to gather structured output, making it the most efficient and reliable approach for extracting specific device attributes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use the 'cisco.ios.ios_command' module and parse the output with regex
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: While possible, 'ios_facts' is the recommended approach.
- ✗
Use the 'cisco.ios.ios_command' module and the 'parse' option
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The 'parse' option is not available in 'ios_command'.
- ✗
Use the 'cisco.ios.ios_config' module to retrieve the version
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: 'ios_config' is for configuration, not show commands.
- ✓
Use the 'cisco.ios.ios_facts' module to get structured facts
Why this is correct
Correct: 'ios_facts' returns structured data including the IOS version.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This 200-901 question is part of Courseiva's 989-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.