200-901 Infrastructure and Automation Practice Question
A network automation engineer is writing a YAML playbook to push a banner configuration to a group of Cisco IOS XE routers. The engineer wants to use an agentless tool that connects over SSH and requires no software installed on the managed devices. Which tool fits this description?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is treating Puppet or Chef as equally agentless because both can target network devices indirectly, when their standard architectures depend on an installed agent that Cisco routers do not host.
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
✓
Ansible
Ansible satisfies the agentless, SSH-based, YAML-driven requirements in one tool. Its ios_config and related modules push configuration changes to Cisco IOS XE devices without installing anything on them, and playbooks express the desired banner state declaratively. Competing configuration management tools rely on agents that cannot run on the routers themselves.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Ansible
Why this is correct
Ansible is agentless by design: it connects to managed nodes over SSH, pushes modules and playbooks from the control node, and requires no long-running agent on the target. For Cisco IOS XE it uses modules such as ios_config to apply banner and other configuration. This matches every constraint in the scenario, including the YAML playbook format.
- ✗
Chef Infra Client running on each router
Why it's wrong here
Chef Infra Client is an agent that must be installed on managed nodes and periodically pulls policy from a Chef Infra Server. Cisco IOS XE routers cannot host this agent, and the scenario explicitly rules out software on devices. The architecture is the opposite of agentless push over SSH.
- ✗
A custom Bash script using scp to copy configuration files
Why it's wrong here
Copying files with scp does not apply configuration to the running system, and a Bash script is not a YAML-based automation framework with idempotent modules. It also lacks the structured inventory and task model the engineer wants. While it is agentless, it does not satisfy the playbook requirement or produce reliable configuration changes.
- ✗
Puppet with a master-agent architecture
Why it's wrong here
Puppet's classic model requires a Puppet agent installed and running on each managed node, which violates the no-software-on-devices requirement. Although Puppet can manage network devices through proxy execution, that still involves additional components rather than a purely agentless SSH push. It does not fit the stated constraints.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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.