EX294 Manage automation security and operations Practice Question
This EX294 practice question tests your understanding of manage automation security and operations. 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 Ansible playbook uses 'become: yes' to install packages. The playbook works when run manually by the administrator but fails when run from automation controller with 'Missing sudo password'. The administrator has configured a machine credential with the SSH key and the 'Become password' field is blank. What is the most likely issue?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The machine credential does not include the become password.
The playbook uses 'become: yes' to escalate privileges, which requires a become password when the remote user's sudo configuration demands password authentication. Since the machine credential's 'Become password' field is blank, Automation Controller cannot supply the password during the privilege escalation step, causing the 'Missing sudo password' error. The administrator's manual run succeeds because the SSH session can prompt interactively for the password, but Automation Controller's non-interactive execution requires the password to be pre-configured in the credential.
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.
✓
The machine credential does not include the become password.
Why this is correct
The become password must be supplied in the credential's 'Become password' field when the remote user requires a password for privilege escalation.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The become method is set to 'su' instead of 'sudo'.
Why it's wrong here
The playbook works manually, so the become method is correct.
✗
The remote user is not in the sudoers file.
Why it's wrong here
If the user were not in sudoers, the manual run would also fail.
✗
The SSH private key is not loaded into the automation controller.
Why it's wrong here
The administrator configured a machine credential with the SSH key, and manual SSH works.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Red Hat often tests the distinction between SSH authentication (private key) and privilege escalation (become password) in Automation Controller, tempting candidates to focus on SSH key issues when the error clearly points to the missing become password.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When Ansible uses 'become: yes' with the default 'sudo' method, it executes 'sudo -u root -p <password>' on the remote host. Automation Controller stores the become password in the encrypted credential and injects it via the ANSIBLE_BECOME_PASSWORD environment variable or the --ask-become-pass flag. If the field is blank, the controller cannot set this variable, and the sudo command fails because it expects a password from stdin. This is distinct from SSH key authentication, which uses the private key stored in the credential's 'SSH private key' field.
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 junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
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.
Manage automation security and operations — This question tests Manage automation security and operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The machine credential does not include the become password. — The playbook uses 'become: yes' to escalate privileges, which requires a become password when the remote user's sudo configuration demands password authentication. Since the machine credential's 'Become password' field is blank, Automation Controller cannot supply the password during the privilege escalation step, causing the 'Missing sudo password' error. The administrator's manual run succeeds because the SSH session can prompt interactively for the password, but Automation Controller's non-interactive execution requires the password to be pre-configured in the credential.
What should I do if I get this EX294 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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