200-901 Infrastructure and Automation Practice Question
During an automation script run, a network device returns HTTP 429. What does this indicate?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests HTTP 429 to distinguish it from HTTP 503 (Service Unavailable), which is a server overload but not specifically a client rate limit, and candidates may confuse the two due to both involving temporary unavailability.
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
✓
Rate limiting
HTTP 429 (Too Many Requests) indicates the client has sent too many requests in a given amount of time, triggering rate limiting on the server. In network automation, devices like routers or switches enforce rate limits to prevent resource exhaustion, often based on RFC 6585. This is common when automation scripts exceed API call thresholds, requiring retry logic with exponential backoff.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Internal server error
Why it's wrong here
500 is internal server error.
- ✓
Rate limiting
Why this is correct
429 means rate limit exceeded.
- ✗
Authentication failure
Why it's wrong here
401 is authentication failure.
- ✗
Resource not found
Why it's wrong here
404 is not found.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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