What interface do automation scripts commonly use to interact with services on a server?

• A. FTP
• B. REST API
• C. SMTP
• D. DNS

Answer: (B)

Automation scripts interact with server-side services through an API, and a REST API is the most common interface for that workflow. REST provides a simple, stateless way to perform operations on resources using standard HTTP methods (such as GET, POST, PUT, DELETE), with responses typically in JSON or XML that are easy for scripts to parse and use in further automation steps. This design makes it straightforward to issue commands to a service, handle results, and chain multiple calls together in an automated workflow. Other options have different roles: FTP is for file transfer, SMTP is for sending emails, and DNS is for resolving names, not for programmatic service control.