200-901 Infrastructure and Automation Practice Question
Which protocol is commonly used to retrieve real-time telemetry data from network devices in a streaming fashion?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between configuration protocols (NETCONF) and streaming telemetry protocols (gRPC), so the trap here is that candidates confuse NETCONF's subscription capability with true real-time streaming, but NETCONF subscriptions are typically poll-based or have higher latency compared to gRPC's push model.
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
✓
gRPC
gRPC is correct because it is designed for high-performance, real-time streaming of telemetry data using HTTP/2 and Protocol Buffers. Network devices like Cisco IOS XR and NX-OS use gRPC to push telemetry data to collectors in a continuous stream, eliminating the need for polling and reducing latency.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
SNMP polling
Why it's wrong here
Polling is not streaming.
- ✗
NETCONF
Why it's wrong here
NETCONF is for configuration, not streaming telemetry.
- ✗
HTTP
Why it's wrong here
HTTP is not typically used for streaming telemetry.
- ✓
gRPC
Why this is correct
gRPC supports streaming telemetry.
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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.