A Netmiko job clears counters on a fleet of IOS XE switches. When it sends clear counters, the device answers Clear counters on all interfaces? [confirm], so send_command() waits for a prompt that never arrives and times out without answering. Which Netmiko flow answers the prompt and still returns output the script can parse?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
When the device pauses to ask a question, your command reader is waiting for a prompt that won’t arrive yet. send_command_timing lets you read the question, answer it, and then collect the output that follows.
Full Explanation
Use send_command_timing() to read the device’s confirmation question, then send Enter with write_channel() and read again to capture the remaining output for parsing. Timing-based reads detect when the device stops sending data instead of waiting for the usual command prompt, which is absent while confirmation is pending. Using send_command() with an expected confirmation string can return when that string appears, and sending Enter answers the question, but returning only the first response misses the output produced afterward. Reading the question with send_command_timing() and sending Enter without reading again also leaves the script with only the pre-confirmation response, not the completed result. Sending the command and a newline together relies on responding before observing the interactive prompt; the returned data is not reliably the completed command output. Exam caveat: timing-based reads depend on the device becoming quiet, so choose an appropriate read_timeout and allow for delayed output. Practical check: in a lab, log the text received before and after sending Enter, then verify the final returned string contains the expected counter-clear output.