SPLK-1005 Splunk Cloud Certified Admin Questions and Answers

When a forwarder phones home to a Deployment Server, it compares the checksum of its apps with those on the Deployment Server. If the checksums do not match, the app on the forwarder is always deleted and re-downloaded from the Deployment Server. This ensures that the forwarder has the most current and correct version of the app as dictated by the Deployment Server.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Deployment Server Overview

The props.conf file is a crucial configuration file in Splunk that is used for both search-time and index-time configurations.

Atindex-time, props.conf is used to define how data should be parsed and indexed, such as timestamp recognition, line breaking, and data transformations.

Atsearch-time, props.conf is used to configure how data should be searched and interpreted, such as field extractions, lookups, and sourcetypes.

B. props.confis the correct answer because it is the only file listed that serves both index-time and search-time purposes.

Splunk Documentation References:

props.conf - configuration for search-time and index-time

The recommended approach for setting the host values based on their origin when files from multiple systems are stored on a centralized log server is to use the host_segment setting. This setting allows you to dynamically set the host value based on a specific segment of the file path, which can be particularly useful when organizing logs from different servers into directories.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Inputs.conf - host_segment

When there are conflicting configurations in Splunk, the platform resolves them based on the configuration file precedence rules. These rules dictate which settings are applied based on the hierarchy of the configuration files.

In the provided configurations:

The first configuration in $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/unix/local/inputs.conf sets the sourcetype to access_combined.

The second configuration in $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/search/local/inputs.conf sets the sourcetype to linux_secure.

Configuration File Precedence:

In Splunk, configurations in local directories take precedence over those in default.

If two configurations are in local directories of different apps, the alphabetical order of the app names determines the precedence.

Since "search" comes after "unix" alphabetically, the configuration in $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/search/local/inputs.conf will take precedence.

Therefore, the value of the sourcetype property for this stanza islinux_secure.

Splunk Documentation References:

Configuration File Precedence

Resolving Conflicts in Splunk Configurations

This confirms that the correct answer isC. linux_secure.

When monitoring directories containing mixed file types, the sourcetype should typically be overridden in props.conf rather than defined in inputs.conf. This is because sourcetype is meant to classify the type of data being ingested, and when dealing with mixed file types, setting a single sourcetype in inputs.conf would not be effective for accurate data classification. Instead, you can use props.conf to define rules that apply different sourcetypes based on the file path, file name patterns, or other criteria. This allows for more granular and accurate assignment of sourcetypes, ensuring the data is properly parsed and indexed according to its type.

Splunk Cloud Reference:For further clarification, refer to Splunk's official documentation on configuring inputs and props, especially the sections discussing monitoring directories and configuring sourcetypes.

Source:

Splunk Docs: Monitor files and directories

Splunk Docs: Configure event line breaking and input settings with props.conf

In Splunk, to configure a TCP input on a specific port and restrict traffic from certain IP addresses, you can use the acceptFrom setting. The correct stanza that enables a TCP input on port 1025 and allows traffic from all IP addresses except 10.5.5.1 would look like this:

[tcp://1025]

acceptFrom = !10.5.5.1

Here, !10.5.5.1 denotes that traffic from this IP should be denied, while all other IP addresses are allowed. Therefore, Option B is correct.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Inputs.conf - acceptFrom

Windows inputs in Splunk, particularly those that involve more advanced data collection capabilities beyond simple file monitoring, can utilize scripts or custom inputs. These are typically referred to asModular Inputs.

C. Modular:This is the correct answer. Modular Inputs are designed to be configurable via the Splunk Web UI and can collect data using custom or predefined scripts, handling more complex data collection tasks. This is the type of input that is used for collecting Windows-specific data such as Event Logs, Performance Monitoring, and other similar inputs.

Splunk Documentation References:

Modular Inputs

Windows Data Collection

The recommended approach to collect data from network devices is to use a Syslog server with a Universal Forwarder (UF) installed. The network devices send data to the Syslog server, which then forwards the data to Splunk Cloud using the Universal Forwarder. This method ensures reliable data ingestion and processing while maintaining flexibility in handling different types of network device data.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Best practices for getting data in

The default bandwidth limit in the Splunk Universal Forwarder is set to 256 KBps. This setting is in place to prevent the forwarder from overwhelming network resources, and it can be adjusted as necessary based on the deployment's specific needs.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Universal Forwarder Configuration

To mask unstructured data before sending it to Splunk Cloud, the SEDCMD should be configured in the props.conf file on a Heavy Forwarder. The Heavy Forwarder is responsible for data parsing and transformation before forwarding the data to Splunk Cloud. This ensures that sensitive data is masked before it reaches the indexing stage.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Using SEDCMD to Mask Data

In props.conf, valid stanzas can include source types, hosts, and source specifications. The correct syntax uses colons for specific types, such as source types and hosts, but follows a particular format:

A. [sourcetype::linux_secure]is the correct answer. This is a valid stanza format for a source type in props.conf. It indicates that the following configurations apply specifically to the linux_secure source type.

B. [host=nyc25]:Incorrect, the correct format for a host-based stanza uses double colons, not an equal sign.

C. [host::nyc]:* Incorrect, wildcards are not used in this manner within props.conf.

D. [host

]:* Incorrect, the correct format requires double colons for host stanzas.

Splunk Documentation References:

props.conf Specification

In a Splunk Cloud environment, the Data Preview feature is used to create and test new sourcetypes. This feature allows you to upload sample data, configure parsing settings, and define sourcetypes interactively without directly editing configuration files like props.conf or using the CLI.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Data Preview

To view the runtime configuration instructions for a monitored file in inputs.conf on the forwarder, the correct command to use involves accessing the internal REST API that provides details on data inputs.

C. ./splunk _internal rest /services/data/inputs/monitoris the correct answer. This command uses Splunk's internal REST endpoint to retrieve information about monitored files, including their runtime configurations as defined in inputs.conf.

Splunk Documentation References:

Splunk REST API - Data Inputs

When a directory monitor is set up with automatic sourcetyping, a user can selectively override the sourcetype assignment by configuring the props.conf file on the forwarder. The props.conf file allows you to define how data should be parsed and processed, including assigning or overriding sourcetypes for specific data inputs.

Splunk Documentation Reference: props.conf configuration

In Splunk Cloud, several administrative tasks are managed by the Splunk Cloud administrator, but certain tasks related to the underlying infrastructure and core software management are handled by Splunk itself.

B. Upgrading the indexer's Splunk softwareis the correct answer. Upgrading Splunk software on indexers is a task that is managed by Splunk’s operations team, not by the Splunk Cloud administrator. The Splunk Cloud administrator handles tasks like forwarding events, managing knowledge objects, and creating users and roles, but the underlying software upgrades and maintenance are managed by Splunk as part of the managed service.

Splunk Documentation References:

Splunk Cloud Administration