The answer is to use a local file server with HTTP for image transfer to improve speed. This is correct because the bottleneck is the SCP copy time, which uses SSH encryption and incurs higher overhead, making it slower on low-bandwidth links compared to HTTP’s more efficient, unencrypted transfer protocol. On the Cisco DevNet Associate 200-901 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of network automation trade-offs, specifically how protocol choice impacts performance within maintenance windows—a common trap is assuming SCP is always best for secure transfers, but in constrained environments, HTTP’s lower latency can be critical. Remember the memory tip: “SCP is secure but slow; HTTP is fast for local flows.”
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.
You are automating the deployment of a new software image on a fleet of Cisco Nexus switches using Ansible. The switches are in a production environment and must have minimal downtime. You have a maintenance window of 30 minutes per switch. Your playbook performs the following steps: 1) Copy the image to the switch via SCP, 2) Set the boot variable to the new image, 3) Save the configuration, 4) Reload the switch. During a dry run on a test switch, you notice that the reload step takes 8 minutes, but the copy step takes 15 minutes due to slow link speed. For the production rollout, you need to reduce the overall time per switch. Which approach should you take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use a local file server with HTTP for image transfer to improve speed
Option B is correct because the bottleneck is the SCP copy time (15 minutes), which exceeds the 30-minute maintenance window when combined with the reload (8 minutes). Using HTTP for image transfer leverages a more efficient protocol with better throughput and lower overhead than SCP, which uses SSH encryption and can be slower on low-bandwidth links. This directly reduces the copy time, bringing the total per-switch time under the maintenance window limit.
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.
✗
Skip the save configuration step to save time
Why it's wrong here
Skipping save risks losing config if reload fails.
✓
Use a local file server with HTTP for image transfer to improve speed
Why this is correct
HTTP is generally faster than SCP for file transfer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use a compressed image to reduce copy time
Why it's wrong here
Compression may not be supported and adds CPU overhead.
✗
Reload all switches simultaneously in the same maintenance window
Why it's wrong here
Simultaneous reload may cause network instability.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates focus on reducing the reload time or configuration steps, when the real bottleneck is the image transfer protocol; Cisco often tests the understanding that protocol choice (SCP vs. HTTP) directly impacts transfer speed in bandwidth-constrained environments.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCP relies on SSH for encryption and authentication, which adds per-packet overhead and can be significantly slower than HTTP on high-latency or low-bandwidth links. HTTP (or HTTPS) transfers can leverage TCP window scaling and keep-alive connections for better throughput. In production, using a local HTTP server on the same subnet can reduce latency and avoid WAN congestion, making it a common practice for large-scale network image upgrades.
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 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
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: Use a local file server with HTTP for image transfer to improve speed — Option B is correct because the bottleneck is the SCP copy time (15 minutes), which exceeds the 30-minute maintenance window when combined with the reload (8 minutes). Using HTTP for image transfer leverages a more efficient protocol with better throughput and lower overhead than SCP, which uses SSH encryption and can be slower on low-bandwidth links. This directly reduces the copy time, bringing the total per-switch time under the maintenance window limit.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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