The answer is that the playbook is missing the 'source-address' command under the receiver configuration. In model-driven telemetry on Cisco IOS-XE, the 'telemetry ietf subscription' block requires a 'source-address' to define which local interface IP the device uses as the source for outgoing telemetry streams; without it, the device may default to the management interface, which can fail if routing or reachability issues exist. This tests your understanding of MDT subscription syntax and common misconfigurations on the ENCOR 350-401 exam, where Cisco often hides traps in the receiver or update-policy hierarchy. A frequent mistake is placing 'update-policy' under the receiver instead of the subscription level, but the most critical omission here is the source address, as it directly impacts data delivery. Remember the mnemonic "SURF" for a complete receiver block: Source-address, Update-policy, Receiver IP, and Filter.
350-401 Model-Driven Telemetry Practice Question
This 350-401 practice question tests your understanding of model-driven telemetry. 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.
An engineer creates an Ansible playbook to configure model-driven telemetry on a Cisco IOS-XE device:
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The playbook is missing the 'source-address' command under the receiver.
The telemetry subscription configuration is missing the 'source-address' command under the receiver. Without specifying a source IP, the device may not send telemetry data if the management interface is not the correct source. Additionally, the 'update-policy' command should be 'update-policy periodic 5000' but the correct syntax is 'update-policy periodic 5000' under the subscription, not under the receiver. However, the most critical issue is that the 'telemetry ietf subscription' configuration requires a 'source-address' to specify the source IP for the telemetry stream.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
The playbook is missing the 'source-address' command under the receiver.
Why this is correct
The receiver must include a source-address to specify the IP address from which telemetry data is sent.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
The 'encoding encode-kvgpb' should be 'encoding encode-json'.
Why it's wrong here
KVGPB (Key-Value Google Protocol Buffers) is a valid encoding for MDT.
✗
The 'update-policy periodic 5000' should be 'update-policy periodic 5000 milliseconds'.
Why it's wrong here
The period is in milliseconds, so 5000 is correct.
✗
The 'filter xpath' path is invalid for IOS-XE.
Why it's wrong here
The XPath /interfaces/interface/state/counters is valid for OpenConfig.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 350-401 question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 350-401 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Model-Driven Telemetry — This question tests Model-Driven Telemetry — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The playbook is missing the 'source-address' command under the receiver. — The telemetry subscription configuration is missing the 'source-address' command under the receiver. Without specifying a source IP, the device may not send telemetry data if the management interface is not the correct source. Additionally, the 'update-policy' command should be 'update-policy periodic 5000' but the correct syntax is 'update-policy periodic 5000' under the subscription, not under the receiver. However, the most critical issue is that the 'telemetry ietf subscription' configuration requires a 'source-address' to specify the source IP for the telemetry stream.
What should I do if I get this 350-401 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 350-401 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An Ansible playbook uses the cisco.ios.ios_telemetry module to configure a telemetry subscription:
```yaml
---
- name: Configure telemetry subscription
hosts: ios_xe
gather_facts: no
tasks:
- name: Create telemetry subscription
cisco.ios.ios_telemetry:
state: present
subscription_id: 300
receiver:
ip: 10.1.1.100
port: 50051
protocol: grpc-tcp
source_ip: 10.1.1.1
encoding: kvgpb
filter:
xpath: /interfaces/interface/state/counters
update_policy:
period: 10000
```
What is the purpose of the 'state: present' parameter?
easy
✓ A.It ensures the subscription is present in the running configuration.
B.It checks if the subscription is currently active.
C.It removes the subscription if it exists.
D.It displays the current subscription configuration.
Why A: The 'state: present' parameter ensures that the telemetry subscription is created if it does not exist, or updated if it does. It is a common Ansible module parameter that idempotently manages configuration.
Last reviewed: Jun 18, 2026
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