EX294 Manage inventories and credentials Practice Question
An Ansible playbook uses the `ansible_password` variable to connect to a Windows host. The value is stored in an encrypted Ansible Vault file. Which credential type in Automation Controller would allow the vault password to be supplied at runtime?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse the credential type used to authenticate to the target host (Machine credential) with the credential type needed to decrypt the vault file containing the host's password, leading them to select Option B instead of C.
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
✓
Vault credential
Automation Controller's Vault credential type is specifically designed to provide the vault password needed to decrypt Ansible Vault-encrypted variables like `ansible_password`. When a job runs, the controller uses this credential to unlock the vault file, allowing the playbook to access the encrypted value at runtime without exposing the plaintext password.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cloud credential
Why it's wrong here
Cloud credentials are for cloud provider access.
- ✗
Machine credential
Why it's wrong here
Machine credentials are for SSH/WinRM authentication, not vault passwords.
- ✓
Vault credential
Why this is correct
Vault credentials provide the vault password to decrypt vault-encrypted files.
- ✗
Network credential
Why it's wrong here
Network credentials are for network devices.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This EX294 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Red Hat 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 EX294 exam.