SPLK-1005 Splunk Cloud Certified Admin Question and Answers

In a managed Splunk Cloud environment, HTTP Event Collector (HEC) tokens are configured by an administrator through the Splunk Web interface. When setting up a new HEC input, a unique token is automatically generated. This token is then provided to application developers, who will use it to authenticate and send data to Splunk via the HEC endpoint.

This token ensures that the data is correctly ingested and associated with the appropriate inputs and indexes. Unlike the other options, which either involve external tokens or support cases, option B reflects the standard procedure for configuring HEC tokens in Splunk Cloud, where control over tokens remains within the Splunk environment itself.

Splunk Cloud Reference: Splunk's documentation on HEC inputs provides detailed steps on creating and managing tokens within Splunk Cloud. This includes the process of generating tokens, configuring data inputs, and distributing these tokens to application developers.

Source:

Splunk Docs: HTTP Event Collector in Splunk Cloud Platform

Splunk Docs: Create and manage HEC tokens

The best approach to meet the requirements of the marketing department is to create a new role that inherits the user role but with restricted access to only the marketing_data index. This setup allows users to perform searches and view dashboards while ensuring they cannot access other indexes such as those containing security or operations data.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Splunk Role-based Access Control

Explanation: When events lack a timestamp, Splunk defaults to using the file modification time, which is accessible metadata for parsing time information if no timestamp is present in the log entry. [Reference: Splunk Docs on timestamp recognition]

Explanation: props.conf and transforms.conf define data parsing, transformations, and routing rules, making them essential for data transformations. [Reference: Splunk Docs on props.conf and transforms.conf]

Explanation: During the input phase, Splunk assigns metadata fields such as sourcetype, host, and source, which are critical for data categorization and routing. [Reference: Splunk Docs on data ingestion stages]

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 as Modular 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

Explanation: In Splunk Cloud, expired events can be archived to customer-managed storage solutions, such as on-premises storage. This allows organizations to retain data beyond the standard retention period if needed. [Reference: Splunk Docs on data archiving in Splunk Cloud]

By default, the sc_admin role in Splunk Cloud is granted several important capabilities, including:

indexes_edit: The ability to create, edit, and manage indexes.

fsh_manage: Manage full-stack monitoring integrations.

admin_all_objects: Full administrative control over all objects in Splunk.

can_delete: The ability to delete events using the delete command.

Option C correctly lists these default capabilities for the sc_admin role.

Splunk Documentation Reference: User roles and capabilities

The delete command in Splunk does not remove events from disk but rather marks them as "deleted" in the index. This means the events are not accessible via searches, but they still occupy space on disk. Only users with the can_delete capability (typically admins) can use the delete command.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Delete Command

The correct monitor statement that will capture all variations of the syslog file paths across different systems is [monitor:///var/log/network/syslog*/linux_secure/*].

This configuration works because:

syslog* matches directories that start with "syslog" (like syslog01, syslog02, etc.).

The wildcard * after linux_secure/ will capture all files within that directory, including different filenames like syslog.log and syslog.log.2020090801.

This setup will ensure that all the necessary files from the different syslog hosts are monitored.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Monitor files and directories

transforms.conf is used for various advanced data processing tasks in Splunk, including:

Per-Event Sourcetype: Dynamically assigning a sourcetype based on event content.

Per-Event Host Name: Dynamically setting the host field based on event content.

Per-Event Index Routing: Directing specific events to different indexes based on their content.

Option B correctly identifies these common uses of transforms.conf.

Splunk Documentation Reference: transforms.conf - Configuration

In Splunk Cloud, data is deleted from an index when the buckets roll to the frozen stage and no archive is defined. When data in a bucket reaches the frozen stage, it is deleted unless a frozen-to-archival script is configured to move the data elsewhere. This process is part of the index lifecycle management in Splunk.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Managing Indexes

The SHOULD_LINEMERGE setting is used in Splunk to control whether or not multiple lines of an event should be combined into a single event. This setting is configured in the props.conf file, where Splunk handles data parsing and field extraction. Setting SHOULD_LINEMERGE = true merges lines together based on specific rules.

Splunk Documentation Reference: props.conf - SHOULD_LINEMERGE

Explanation: Using the oneshot command allows a direct check for data reception in the cloud environment. Logs can be verified in the cloud after the forwarder sends them. [Reference: Splunk Docs on testing forwarder data inputs]

Universal Forwarders can connect directly to Splunk Cloud, and there is no limit on the number of Universal Forwarders that may connect directly to it. This capability allows organizations to scale their data ingestion easily by deploying as many Universal Forwarders as needed without the requirement for intermediate forwarders unless additional data processing, filtering, or load balancing is required.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Forwarding Data to Splunk Cloud

Explanation: The _internal index stores logs that are valuable for troubleshooting, including information about system operations, indexers, and search head logs. This index provides insights necessary to diagnose many common issues. [Reference: Splunk Docs on indexes]

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

Splunk Cloud Support should be contacted when issues arise that cannot be resolved internally or when problem isolation has been unsuccessful.

C. When unable to resolve issues or perform problem isolation is the correct answer. Splunk Cloud Support is typically involved when internal troubleshooting has been exhausted, and the issue requires expert assistance or deeper investigation. While scripted input troubleshooting might be handled by internal teams, contacting support for unresolved issues is the appropriate step.

Splunk Documentation References:

When to Contact Splunk Support

Explanation: The default port for HTTP Event Collector (HEC) in Splunk Cloud is 8088, which is used for data ingestion via HEC. [Reference: Splunk Docs on HTTP Event Collector settings]

In Splunk Cloud, when an app on Splunkbase indicates "Request Install," it means that the app is not available for direct self-service installation and requires intervention from Splunk Support. This could be because the app needs to undergo an additional review for compatibility with the managed cloud environment or because it requires special installation procedures.

In these cases, customers need to contact Splunk Support to request the installation of the app. Support will ensure that the app is properly vetted and compatible with Splunk Cloud before proceeding with the installation.

Splunk Cloud Reference: For further details, consult Splunk’s guidelines on requesting app installations in Splunk Cloud and the processes involved in reviewing and approving apps for use in the cloud environment.

Source:

Splunk Docs: Install apps in Splunk Cloud Platform

Splunkbase: App request procedures for Splunk Cloud

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 software is 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