350-401 Automation Practice Question
Which THREE are valid methods for automating network device configuration using Cisco IOS XE? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between monitoring protocols (SNMP) and configuration automation protocols (NETCONF/RESTCONF), and the trap here is that candidates mistakenly think SNMP Set requests are a valid configuration automation method, overlooking that SNMP is designed for read-heavy monitoring and lacks the transactional, model-driven capabilities of YANG-based protocols.
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
✓
NETCONF/YANG
NETCONF/YANG is a valid method for automating network device configuration on Cisco IOS XE. NETCONF (RFC 6241) uses an XML-based RPC protocol to establish a secure SSH session (port 830) for configuration operations, while YANG (RFC 7950) provides a structured data model to define the configuration and state data. This combination allows for programmatic, transactional, and standardized configuration management, making it a core automation technology supported by Cisco.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
NETCONF/YANG
Why this is correct
NETCONF is a standard protocol for configuration.
- ✗
SNMP Set requests
Why it's wrong here
SNMP is mainly for monitoring, not configuration automation.
- ✗
Telnet with Expect scripts
Why it's wrong here
Telnet is insecure and not recommended.
- ✓
CLI via SSH with Python (e.g., Netmiko)
Why this is correct
CLI automation via SSH is common.
- ✓
RESTCONF
Why this is correct
RESTCONF provides a RESTful API for configuration.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-401 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 350-401 exam.