350-401 Automation Practice Question
A network automation engineer is using NETCONF to configure a Cisco IOS XE device. The engineer wants to ensure that the configuration changes are applied atomically and that the device can roll back to a previous configuration if an error occurs. Which two NETCONF capabilities should the engineer verify are supported by the device? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse validation or writable-running with atomicity and rollback, which are specifically provided by :candidate and :rollback-on-error.
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
✓
:rollback-on-error
To achieve atomic configuration changes and rollback on error with NETCONF, the device must support the :candidate and :rollback-on-error capabilities. The :candidate capability provides a staging area for changes, allowing them to be applied as a single transaction. The :rollback-on-error capability ensures that if any part of the transaction fails, the entire change set is discarded, reverting to the previous configuration. Together, they enable reliable and safe configuration management.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
:writable-running
Why it's wrong here
:writable-running allows direct edits to the running configuration, but it does not provide atomic transactions or rollback capabilities. Changes are applied immediately and individually, so an error could leave the configuration in an inconsistent state. While it is useful for simple edits, it does not meet the requirement for atomicity and rollback. Thus, it is not the correct capability to verify for this scenario.
- ✗
:validate
Why it's wrong here
:validate allows the engineer to validate a candidate configuration against the device's YANG models before committing. While validation is important, it does not by itself provide atomicity or rollback. The engineer could validate and still encounter errors during commit. The requirements specifically mention atomic application and rollback, which are provided by other capabilities. Thus, :validate alone is insufficient.
- ✗
:startup
Why it's wrong here
:startup indicates that the device has a separate startup configuration datastore. While this is useful for saving configurations across reboots, it does not provide atomic transactions or rollback of configuration changes. The engineer could still make changes that are not atomic. Therefore, :startup is not relevant to the requirement for atomicity and rollback during configuration.
- ✓
:rollback-on-error
Why this is correct
:rollback-on-error is a NETCONF capability that ensures if any part of a configuration transaction fails, the entire transaction is rolled back to the previous state. This directly supports the requirement for atomicity and automatic rollback. It works in conjunction with the candidate datastore. Therefore, verifying this capability is necessary to guarantee that errors do not leave the device in a partially configured state.
- ✓
:candidate
Why this is correct
The :candidate capability indicates that the device supports a candidate configuration datastore. This allows the engineer to make changes to a candidate configuration, validate them, and then commit them atomically. It also enables rollback to a previous configuration if needed. Without this capability, atomic transactions and rollback are not possible. Therefore, verifying :candidate is essential for the described requirements.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
QoS and Network Performance Management
Key term
NETCONF Protocol
NETCONF is a network management protocol that uses a structured data format to configure, retrieve, and modify network devices in a standard, programmatic way.
Key term
Cisco DNA Center Automation
Cisco DNA Center Automation is a centralized software platform that simplifies network management by automatically configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting Cisco devices using policy-driven intent and software tools.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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