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 automation script uses RESTCONF to retrieve operational data from a Cisco device. What data format is typically supported by RESTCONF?
YAML
Why wrong: YAML is not a standard output format for RESTCONF.
Plain text
Why wrong: RESTCONF does not use plain text.
XML or JSON
RESTCONF uses XML and JSON as data formats.
CSV
Why wrong: CSV is not supported by RESTCONF.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
XML or JSON
RESTCONF (RFC 8040) is a REST-like protocol that uses HTTP methods to access structured data defined by YANG models. It natively supports both XML and JSON as data serialization formats, allowing clients to choose the format via the Accept header or URL suffix (e.g., .xml or .json). This makes XML and JSON the correct answer because they are the only formats explicitly defined in the RESTCONF specification for encoding configuration and operational data.
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.
YAML
Why it's wrong here
YAML is not a standard output format for RESTCONF.
Plain text
Why it's wrong here
RESTCONF does not use plain text.
XML or JSON
Why this is correct
RESTCONF uses XML and JSON as data formats.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
CSV
Why it's wrong here
CSV is not supported by RESTCONF.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that RESTCONF supports YAML because of its popularity in automation tools like Ansible, but RESTCONF strictly uses XML and JSON per RFC 8040, and YAML is not a valid encoding in the standard.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
YAML is not a standard output format for RESTCONF.
Detailed technical explanation
RESTCONF uses YANG as its data modeling language, and both XML and JSON encodings are defined in RFC 7950 and RFC 7951, respectively. When a client sends a GET request to retrieve operational data, it can specify application/yang-data+xml or application/yang-data+json in the Accept header, and the server responds with the corresponding format. This flexibility allows integration with tools that prefer JSON (e.g., Python scripts) or XML (e.g., legacy systems), but the underlying data structure remains consistent via YANG.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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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: XML or JSON — RESTCONF (RFC 8040) is a REST-like protocol that uses HTTP methods to access structured data defined by YANG models. It natively supports both XML and JSON as data serialization formats, allowing clients to choose the format via the Accept header or URL suffix (e.g., .xml or .json). This makes XML and JSON the correct answer because they are the only formats explicitly defined in the RESTCONF specification for encoding configuration and operational data.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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