Forty factory-fresh Catalyst 9200 switches must be brought up at a remote branch office. The provider's DHCP server only leases addresses, outbound internet access is available, no technician will be on site, and the switches arrive with only factory-default settings for access. Which Day 0 provisioning method matches these branch conditions?

Cisco PnP discovered through its cloud service and identified by serial number fits the stated Day 0 conditions: the switches are factory-fresh, the provider supplies DHCP addressing, outbound internet is available, and no technician must visit the branch. Cloud discovery lets each switch reach the PnP service and obtain its assigned configuration without requiring a local provisioning server or DHCP scope customization. DHCP-based ZTP is a valid field method when a DHCP server can supply a bootstrap URL, but this provider's server only leases addresses, so it cannot deliver the required script location. Ansible is commonly used to automate switch configuration, but pushing a bootstrap over SSH presupposes working SSH access and credentials; factory-default access alone does not provide that configured management path. An on-premises PnP server is also a sound deployment choice when available, but directing switches to it with DHCP option 43 requires DHCP to provide more than leases, contrary to the stated provider limitation. Exam caveat: distinguish the PnP service's cloud discovery from approaches that depend on DHCP options; internet access by itself does not make every provisioning workflow viable. Practical check: before deployment, confirm the switches can obtain DHCP leases, reach the required cloud endpoints outbound, and are present in the PnP inventory under their serial numbers.