200-901 Understanding and Using APIs Practice Question
This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of understanding and using apis. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 engineer is using the Cisco DNA Center API to get site health. The API endpoint returns a large dataset with pagination. The response includes the header 'X-Page-Total-Count'. To retrieve all pages efficiently, what should the engineer implement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A loop that increments the page parameter until the response is empty, using the total count header.
Option B is correct because the Cisco DNA Center API uses pagination with a page parameter and returns a 'X-Page-Total-Count' header indicating the total number of pages. By implementing a loop that increments the page parameter until all pages are retrieved, the engineer can efficiently fetch all data without overwhelming the API or missing records, using the total count to know when to stop.
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.
✗
A single request with a high limit parameter to fetch all data at once.
Why it's wrong here
Requesting a very high limit may exceed API limits and cause errors or truncated results.
✓
A loop that increments the page parameter until the response is empty, using the total count header.
Why this is correct
This efficiently retrieves all pages by iterating through page numbers.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
A recursive function that follows 'next' links in the response body.
Why it's wrong here
DNA Center uses page-based pagination, not link-based; following 'next' links is not supported.
✗
Polling the endpoint at regular intervals to gather data over time.
Why it's wrong here
Polling is not a pagination technique; it would retrieve the same data repeatedly.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between REST API pagination patterns (offset/limit vs. page-based with total count) and the trap here is that candidates assume all APIs use 'next' links (like in HAL or JSON:API), but Cisco DNA Center uses explicit page parameters and headers.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the Cisco DNA Center API pagination uses query parameters like 'page' and 'limit' (or 'size'), with the response header 'X-Page-Total-Count' indicating the total number of pages. The engineer should calculate the total pages from this header and loop from page 1 to that value, sending concurrent requests if needed for efficiency, but respecting rate limits. In real-world scenarios, failing to handle pagination correctly can lead to incomplete site health reports, affecting network monitoring and troubleshooting.
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.
Understanding and Using APIs — This question tests Understanding and Using APIs — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A loop that increments the page parameter until the response is empty, using the total count header. — Option B is correct because the Cisco DNA Center API uses pagination with a page parameter and returns a 'X-Page-Total-Count' header indicating the total number of pages. By implementing a loop that increments the page parameter until all pages are retrieved, the engineer can efficiently fetch all data without overwhelming the API or missing records, using the total count to know when to stop.
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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