easyMultiple Choice
200-901 Practice Question: Needs to automate the configuration of VLANs…
A network engineer needs to automate the configuration of VLANs across 50 switches. Which approach best follows Cisco’s recommended practices for programmability?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that REST APIs are universally available on all network devices, but in reality, many legacy switches lack REST API support, making Ansible (which uses SSH/CLI abstraction) the more practical and recommended choice for multi-vendor or mixed-platform environments.
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
✓
Write an Ansible playbook using the ios_vlan module to configure VLANs on all switches.
Ansible's ios_vlan module is purpose-built for automating VLAN configuration on Cisco IOS devices, aligning with Cisco's recommended practices for programmability by using a declarative, agentless automation tool that abstracts the underlying CLI and ensures idempotent configuration across multiple switches.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Write an Ansible playbook using the ios_vlan module to configure VLANs on all switches.
Why this is correct
Ansible's `ios_vlan` module declares the desired VLAN state once, then pushes it to all 50 switches idempotently over SSH, satisfying the scale and repeatability the stem demands. This model-driven, agentless approach matches Cisco's recommended programmability practise, unlike manual CLI entry or bespoke scripts that drift and cannot safely re-run.
- ✗
Use a REST API on each switch to push the VLAN configuration individually.
Why it's wrong here
Per-device REST calls lack a declarative, idempotent model and require bespoke handling of 50 endpoints, whereas model-driven programmability with YANG and NETCONF/RESTCONF pushes intent consistently. REST APIs suit one-off, single-device queries or integrations, not fleet-wide configuration at scale.
- ✗
Use a Python script that manually SSHes into each switch and applies CLI commands.
Why it's wrong here
Screen-scraping CLI over SSH is brittle, non-idempotent and breaks when output formats change, so it does not follow model-driven programmability. It is tempting because engineers already know the CLI commands, but structured APIs with YANG models give reliable, repeatable configuration across 50 devices.
- ✗
Configure all VLANs via SNMP MIBs.
Why it's wrong here
SNMP MIBs are designed for monitoring and reading state, and writing configuration through them is inconsistent across platforms and not Cisco's recommended configuration path. It is tempting because SNMP already runs on the switches, but YANG-modelled interfaces provide the structured, vendor-supported configuration mechanism.
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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.