200-901 Infrastructure and Automation Practice Question
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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Router# show ip interface brief
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
GigabitEthernet0/0 192.168.1.1 YES NVRAM up up
GigabitEthernet0/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
An automation script using Ansible tries to configure IP address 192.168.1.2 on GigabitEthernet0/1. After running, the interface remains administratively down. What is the first thing to check?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Refer to the exhibit.
Router# show ip interface brief
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
GigabitEthernet0/0 192.168.1.1 YES NVRAM up up
GigabitEthernet0/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
A
The VLAN configuration
Why wrong: VLAN configuration is not relevant to the administrative state.
B
The IP address is a duplicate
Why wrong: A duplicate IP would cause warning but not administrative down state.
C
The interface is faulty
Why wrong: Hardware failure is less likely and not the first check.
D
The 'no shutdown' command was not included in the configuration
Without 'no shutdown', the interface remains administratively down.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The 'no shutdown' command was not included in the configuration
The 'no shutdown' command is required to administratively enable an interface on Cisco IOS devices. Without it, the interface remains in an administratively down state regardless of IP configuration. Ansible automation scripts must include this command in the task or playbook to bring the interface up.
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.
✗
The VLAN configuration
Why it's wrong here
VLAN configuration is not relevant to the administrative state.
✗
The IP address is a duplicate
Why it's wrong here
A duplicate IP would cause warning but not administrative down state.
✗
The interface is faulty
Why it's wrong here
Hardware failure is less likely and not the first check.
✓
The 'no shutdown' command was not included in the configuration
Why this is correct
Without 'no shutdown', the interface remains administratively down.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between interface configuration (IP address, VLAN) and interface state (shutdown/no shutdown), trapping candidates who assume that assigning an IP address automatically enables the interface.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The 'administratively down' state is indicated by the 'show interfaces' output showing 'GigabitEthernet0/1 is administratively down, line protocol is down'. The 'no shutdown' command sets the interface's administrative state to 'up' at the device driver level, allowing Layer 1 and Layer 2 processes to negotiate. In Ansible, the 'ios_config' module or 'cisco.ios.ios_interfaces' resource module can be used to apply 'no shutdown'; omitting it is a common automation oversight.
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 help-desk technician troubleshoots why a newly connected PC cannot reach shared printers on the same floor. The cable is good, the switch port is active, but the PC is in VLAN 20 and the printers are in VLAN 10. The uplink trunk only allows VLAN 10. A trunk being up does not mean every VLAN crosses it.
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.
Infrastructure and Automation — This question tests Infrastructure and Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The 'no shutdown' command was not included in the configuration — The 'no shutdown' command is required to administratively enable an interface on Cisco IOS devices. Without it, the interface remains in an administratively down state regardless of IP configuration. Ansible automation scripts must include this command in the task or playbook to bring the interface up.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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