This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure and automation. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
When using NETCONF to edit the configuration of a Cisco IOS XE device, an engineer receives an <rpc-error> with error-tag 'in-use' and error-app-tag 'data-exists'. What does this error indicate?
The NETCONF session was closed due to a timeout.
Why wrong: Timeout would be 'session-terminated'.
The RPC message was malformed.
Why wrong: Malformed RPC gives 'malformed-message'.
The configuration being added already exists on the device.
data-exists indicates duplicate data.
The device does not have the required user permissions.
Why wrong: Permission errors have 'access-denied'.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The configuration being added already exists on the device.
The error-tag 'in-use' combined with the error-app-tag 'data-exists' in NETCONF indicates that the configuration operation (e.g., <edit-config> with operation 'create') attempted to add a configuration element that already exists in the running datastore. NETCONF uses these standardized error tags per RFC 6241 to signal that the requested operation cannot be completed because the target data node is already present, preventing duplicate configuration entries.
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.
The NETCONF session was closed due to a timeout.
Why it's wrong here
Timeout would be 'session-terminated'.
The RPC message was malformed.
Why it's wrong here
Malformed RPC gives 'malformed-message'.
The configuration being added already exists on the device.
Why this is correct
data-exists indicates duplicate data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The device does not have the required user permissions.
Why it's wrong here
Permission errors have 'access-denied'.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between NETCONF <edit-config> operations (create vs. merge vs. replace) and their corresponding error tags, leading candidates to confuse 'in-use' with permission or syntax errors.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, NETCONF <edit-config> supports operations like 'merge', 'replace', 'create', and 'delete'. The 'create' operation is the only one that returns 'in-use' with 'data-exists' if the target node already exists; 'merge' would silently overwrite or merge without error. In real-world scenarios, automation scripts using 'create' must first check for existing configuration or use 'replace' to avoid this error, which is critical for idempotent configuration management.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the 200-901 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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: The configuration being added already exists on the device. — The error-tag 'in-use' combined with the error-app-tag 'data-exists' in NETCONF indicates that the configuration operation (e.g., <edit-config> with operation 'create') attempted to add a configuration element that already exists in the running datastore. NETCONF uses these standardized error tags per RFC 6241 to signal that the requested operation cannot be completed because the target data node is already present, preventing duplicate configuration entries.
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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