This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of cisco platforms and development. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Which two of the following are valid ways to authenticate to the Cisco DNA Center API?
Use SNMP v3
Why wrong: SNMP is not used for REST API authentication.
Use SAML assertion
Why wrong: SAML is for SSO, not typical API auth.
Provide API token in HTTP header
Tokens are obtained via login and passed in headers.
Use SSH key
Why wrong: SSH keys are for device access, not API authentication.
Use OAuth 2.0 client credentials
DNA Center supports OAuth 2.0 for application authentication.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Provide API token in HTTP header
Option C is correct because the Cisco DNA Center API uses token-based authentication. After obtaining a token via a POST request to the /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token endpoint with valid credentials, the token must be included in the HTTP header as 'X-Auth-Token: <token>' for all subsequent API requests. This is the standard method for authenticating REST API calls to Cisco DNA Center.
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.
Use SNMP v3
Use SAML assertion
Why it's wrong here
SAML is for SSO, not typical API auth.
Provide API token in HTTP header
Why this is correct
Tokens are obtained via login and passed in headers.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Use SSH key
Why it's wrong here
SSH keys are for device access, not API authentication.
Use OAuth 2.0 client credentials
Why this is correct
DNA Center supports OAuth 2.0 for application authentication.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between device-level authentication (SNMP, SSH) and API-level authentication (tokens, OAuth 2.0), leading candidates to mistakenly select protocols used for network device management instead of REST API authentication methods.
Detailed technical explanation
The Cisco DNA Center API implements OAuth 2.0 client credentials grant type, where a client ID and client secret are exchanged for an access token. This token is a JSON Web Token (JWT) that includes claims like expiration time and scope, and must be sent in the 'X-Auth-Token' header. The token has a configurable timeout (default 1 hour), after which a new token must be obtained, ensuring stateless authentication without storing session data on the server.
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
Cisco Platforms and Development — This question tests Cisco Platforms and Development — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Provide API token in HTTP header — Option C is correct because the Cisco DNA Center API uses token-based authentication. After obtaining a token via a POST request to the /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token endpoint with valid credentials, the token must be included in the HTTP header as 'X-Auth-Token: <token>' for all subsequent API requests. This is the standard method for authenticating REST API calls to Cisco DNA Center.
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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