Splunk Commands and Components Overview

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of a Splunk forwarder?

To create automated reports for users

To manage configurations across servers

To analyze indexed data

To collect data from local sources and forward it (correct)

Which component in Splunk is responsible for indexing the data and making it searchable?

Search head

Forwarder

Indexer (correct)

Deployment server

Under what condition can a report in Splunk be run using the permissions of the report user?

When the report is accessed directly from the dashboard

When the report is scheduled and run for the first time

When the report is not shared with any other users

When the owner configures the report to run as User (correct)

Which statement is true regarding automatic lookups in Splunk?

Testing the lookup table is useful prior to using it in a search Signup and view all the answers

How many phases can the Splunk index time process be broken down into?

3 Signup and view all the answers

What must be done to access search job data for more than 7 days?

By scheduling a report. Signup and view all the answers

What happens when local files are uploaded through Upload options in Splunk?

The file is indexed only once. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about job lifetime in Splunk is correct?

The lifetime starts from when the job is run. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of a deployment server in a Splunk environment?

To manage and distribute configurations across the deployment Signup and view all the answers

Scheduled reports in Splunk are limited to what functionality regarding permissions?

They can only run as the report owner regardless of sharing Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following options can be selected in the monitor option GUI?

Files & Directories, HTTP Event Collector (HEC), TCP/UDP, and Scripts Signup and view all the answers

What is the best practice when executing a Splunk search?

Filter as early as possible. Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a primary function of a Heavy Forwarder (HF) in Splunk?

Masking data Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following options is NOT recommended for improving search performance in Splunk?

Including multiple indexes unnecessarily. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following components does NOT typically reside where data originates?

Deployment server Signup and view all the answers

How can a user ensure their scheduled report reflects the correct data scope?

By configuring the report’s permissions before scheduling Signup and view all the answers

When viewing a dashboard panel based on a report, which is true?

You can change the visualization without altering the search string. Signup and view all the answers

Where does the licensing meter in Splunk occur?

Indexer Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential consequence of using wildcards in a Splunk search?

They can slow down the search and return irrelevant results. Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct file location for inputs.conf in a Splunk instance?

$SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/local Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following represents a common misconception about heavy forwarders?

They only perform searching. Signup and view all the answers

In which situation might you want to search multiple indexes in Splunk?

When your search requires data from various sources. Signup and view all the answers

Which of these inputs can be configured in the inputs.conf file?

Log files Signup and view all the answers

Why is specifying fewer search terms sometimes problematic?

It might result in incomplete or inaccurate results. Signup and view all the answers

Which search query correctly counts the number of events in the 'security failure' index?

index=security failure | stats count as 'Event Count' Signup and view all the answers

What would be the correct search command to return events from the 'access_combined' sourcetype?

sourcetype=access_combined Signup and view all the answers

Which option will provide the most efficient search performance?

(index=web OR index=sales) Signup and view all the answers

What is considered the best practice for naming reports in Splunk?

Utilize a consistent naming convention for easy identification. Signup and view all the answers

If a search is run and no index is specified, what will be the outcome?

Events from all indexes the user can access will be returned. Signup and view all the answers

Which Splunk command would you use to create summary statistics?

stats Signup and view all the answers

How should fields be treated when they are case sensitive in Splunk?

Values can be case insensitive while field names are case sensitive. Signup and view all the answers

Why should wildcards be avoided in search queries?

They make searches more expensive and less efficient. Signup and view all the answers

When viewing the results of a search job from the Activity menu, what events are displayed?

The same events from when the original search was executed Signup and view all the answers

What is the quickest way to learn what data is present in a Splunk deployment?

Click Data Summary in Splunk Web Signup and view all the answers

Which aspects can be edited by a user with the capability to edit reports?

Acceleration, schedule, permissions Signup and view all the answers

What metadata field is assigned to every event in Splunk?

host Signup and view all the answers

Which two search filters are considered the most efficient in Splunk?

_time and index Signup and view all the answers

What is the best method to create a report for the last 24 hours of events?

Use the time range picker to select 'Last 24 hours' Signup and view all the answers

When is the pipe character | used in search strings?

Before commands. For example: | stats sum(bytes) by host Signup and view all the answers

What function does the 'owner' metadata field serve in Splunk?

It identifies the user account associated with the event. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Lookup Commands

lookup commands are used to perform lookups when searching.
inputlookup command reads data from a lookup table.
inputlookup command is not necessary for creating an automatic lookup.
It's useful to test the lookup table to ensure that it contains the correct data before using it in a search.

Splunk Components

Splunk forwarder is a lightweight component that collects data from various sources on the local machine and forwards it to the Splunk indexers.
Splunk indexer is responsible for indexing the data and making it searchable.
Search head is used to search and analyze the indexed data.
Deployment server manages configurations and settings across distributed Splunk environments.

Scheduled Report Scope

The owner of a report can configure permissions so that the report uses either the User role or the owner's profile at runtime.

Splunk Search Best Practices

Filter as early as possible to reduce the amount of data Splunk needs to search.
Specify the minimum number of indexes required for the search.
Use specific search terms to ensure accurate results.
Use wildcards sparingly, as they can slow down the search and return irrelevant results.

Dashboard Panels

You can modify the search string in a dashboard panel based on a report.
However, you cannot change or configure the visualization.

Statistical Analysis

The stats command in Splunk summarizes search results and creates summary statistics.
The count function counts the number of matching events in the search results.
The as keyword names the resulting field.

Data Source Identification

sourcetype=Access_Combined will return events from the access_combined sourcetype.
Field names are case-sensitive, but field values are not.

Efficient Index Searches

(index=web OR index=sales) provides the most efficient search performance when searching multiple indexes.
Specifying specific indexes improves search performance.
Wildcards (*, ?) make searches more expensive.

Naming Conventions

Use a consistent naming convention for reports, including characteristics like group and object.
This helps users easily identify and find the reports they need.

Default Index Search Behavior

If an index is not specified in a search string, events from every index searched by default to which the user has access will be returned.

Splunk Indexing Phases

The Splunk index time process consists of three phases: input, parsing, and indexing.

Splunk Monitoring Options

Monitor option provides one-time or continuous monitoring of files, directories, HTTP events, network ports, or data gathering scripts located on Splunk Enterprise instances.
Options include File & Directories, HTTP Event Collector (HEC), TCP/UDP and Scripts.

File Uploads & Indexing

Uploading local files through the Upload option indexes the file only once.
Splunk uses the file's inode to determine if the file has already been indexed, so uploading the same file multiple times doesn't re-index it.
However, modifying the file and uploading it again will re-index it as a new file.

Heavy Forwarder Functionalities

Heavy forwarders are used for parsing data, forwarding data to indexers, and searching the data that passes through them.
Masking is not a primary function of the heavy forwarder.

Licensing Meter Location

The licensing meter happens on the heavy forwarder.

Search Job Results Viewing

When viewing results of a search job from the Activity menu, the same events from when the original search was executed are displayed.

Data Deployment Overview

Click Data Summary in Splunk Web for a quick and comprehensive overview of data in a Splunk deployment.

Report Editing Capabilities

Users with report editing capabilities can edit:
- Acceleration
- Schedule
- Permissions

Event Metadata

host is a metadata field assigned to every event in Splunk.

Efficient Search Filters

_time and index are the two most efficient search filters because they are indexed fields.

Reporting Last 24 Hours

Use the time range picker to select "Last 24 hours" to create a report that shows the last 24 hours of events.

Pipe Character Usage

The pipe character (|) is used before commands in search strings to specify that the output of one command should be used as the input to the next command.

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Description

This quiz covers essential Splunk commands, including lookup commands and their functionalities. It also explores the various components of Splunk such as forwarders, indexers, and search heads. Test your knowledge on Splunk operations and best practices for reporting.