The script uses the RESTCONF protocol to modify the configuration of a Cisco IOS XE device.

1. Host/Port: ios-xe-mgmt is the standard hostname for Cisco DevNet sandboxes, and 9443 is the common registered port for HTTPS-based RESTCONF management on these instances.
2. HTTP Method: The URL path .../native/ip/route suggests a configuration change. requests.patch is used for partial updates (merging data) to the running configuration, which is the standard practice for adding or modifying specific resources in RESTCONF.
3. Status Code: According to RFC 8040, when a resource is successfully created or updated via a PATCH (or POST) request that results in a new resource, the server returns a 201 Created status code.

Cisco IOS XE Documentation: Programmability Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS XE (Section: RESTCONF Protocol). It specifies the use of HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE) to interact with YANG-defined data.

RFC 8040 (RESTCONF Protocol): Section 3.4 (PATCH Method) and Section 3.5 (POST Method). Defines the expected success response codes, specifically noting 201 Created for successful resource creation/modification.

Cisco DevNet Learning Labs: Introduction to RESTCONF on IOS XE. Identifies the default sandbox management port as 9443 for HTTPS RESTCONF traffic.

Python Requests Library Documentation: Provides the syntax for requests.patch() and requests.post(), confirming the argument structure (url, auth=..., data=..., headers=...) matches the code snippet.