SPLK-1005 Exam Dumps - Splunk Cloud Certified Admin

In Splunk, when ingesting logs such as an Apache access log, the time zone for each event is typically determined by the time zone indicator present in the raw event data itself. In the log snippet you provided, the time zone is indicated by -0400, which specifies that the event's timestamp is 4 hours behind UTC (Coordinated Universal Time).

Splunk uses this information directly from the event to properly parse the timestamp and apply the correct time zone. This ensures that the event's time is accurately reflected regardless of the time zone in which the Splunk instance or forwarder is located.

Splunk Cloud Reference: For further details, you can review Splunk documentation on timestamp recognition and time zone handling, especially in relation to log files and data ingestion configurations.

Source:

Splunk Docs: How Splunk software handles timestamps

Splunk Docs: Configure event timestamp recognition

In Splunk Cloud, only apps that have been certified and vetted by Splunk are supported. This is because Splunk Cloud is a managed service, and Splunk ensures that all apps meet specific security, performance, and compatibility requirements before they can be installed. This certification process guarantees that the apps won’t negatively impact the overall environment, ensuring a stable and secure cloud service.

Self-service installation is available, but it is limited to apps that are certified for Splunk Cloud. Non-certified apps cannot be installed directly; they require a review and approval process by Splunk support.

Splunk Cloud Reference: Refer to Splunk’s documentation on app installation and the list of Cloud-vetted apps available on Splunkbase to understand which apps can be installed in Splunk Cloud.

Source:

Splunk Docs: About apps in Splunk Cloud

Splunkbase: Splunk Cloud Apps

Explanation: SEDCMD in props.conf applies regular expressions to modify data as it is ingested. It is useful for transforming raw event data before indexing. [Reference: Splunk Docs on SEDCMD]

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

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

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]

Explanation: [monitor:///var/log/httpd-[0-9].log] is a valid path and syntax for inputs.conf to monitor files ending in .log under /var/log, with other correct index, sourcetype, and host settings specified. [Reference: Splunk Docs on monitor stanzas]

The statement about monitor inputs that is true is that the ignoreOlderThan option allows files to be ignored based on their file modification time. This setting helps prevent Splunk from indexing older data that is not relevant or needed.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Monitor files and directories

A Universal Forwarder (UF) can indeed be configured as an Intermediate Forwarder. This means that the UF can receive data from other forwarders and then forward that data on to indexers or Splunk Cloud, effectively acting as a relay point in the data forwarding chain.

Option A is incorrect because a Universal Forwarder does not need to contact the license master; only indexers and search heads require this.

Option B is incorrect as Universal Forwarders can connect directly to Splunk Cloud or via other forwarders.

Option D is also incorrect because the default output bandwidth limit for a UF is typically much higher than 500KBps (default is 256KBps per pipeline, but can be configured).

Splunk Documentation Reference: Universal Forwarder

For input apps that are not permitted on Splunk Cloud, the recommended place to deploy them is on a Universal Forwarder or Heavy Forwarder. These forwarders handle data collection and preprocessing before sending the data to Splunk Cloud. This setup allows organizations to leverage apps and configurations that are not supported directly in the cloud environment.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Forwarding Data to Splunk Cloud

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

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

The followTail attribute in inputs.conf controls how Splunk processes existing content in a monitored file.

D. Prevents pre-existing content in a file from being ingested: This is the correct answer. When followTail = true is set, Splunk will ignore any pre-existing content in a file and only start monitoring from the end of the file, capturing new data as it is added. This is useful when you want to start monitoring a log file but do not want to index the historical data that might be present in the file.

A. Pauses a file monitor if the queue is full: Incorrect, this is not related to the followTail attribute.

B. Only creates a tail checkpoint of the monitored file: Incorrect, while a tailing checkpoint is created for state tracking, followTail specifically refers to skipping the existing content.

C. Ingests a file starting with new content and then reading older events: Incorrect, followTail does not read older events; it skips them.

Splunk Documentation References:

followTail Attribute Documentation

Monitoring Files

These answers align with Splunk's best practices and available documentation on managing and configuring Splunk environments.

Explanation: In Splunk Cloud, role-based access controls are managed by mapping LDAP groups to Splunk roles. Therefore, any change in roles should be managed by the LDAP administrator, who can adjust Mia’s group to an LDAP group mapped to the power role. [Reference: Splunk Docs on LDAP integration in Splunk Cloud]

When dealing with a directory containing a mix of file types, it's essential to fine-tune the sourcetypes for different files to ensure accurate data parsing and indexing.

B. On the forwarder collecting the data, leave sourcetype as automatic for the directory monitor. Then create a props.conf that assigns a specific sourcetype by source stanza: This is the correct answer. In this approach, the Universal Forwarder is set up with a directory monitor where the sourcetype is initially left as automatic. Then, a props.conf file is configured to specify different sourcetypes based on the source (filename or path). This ensures that as the data is collected, it is appropriately categorized by sourcetype according to the file type.

Splunk Documentation References:

Configuring Inputs and Sourcetypes

Fine-tuning sourcetypes

In a managed Splunk Cloud environment, several features are available to ensure that the platform is secure, scalable, and meets enterprise requirements. The key features include:

Availability of premium apps: Splunk Cloud supports the installation and use of premium apps such as Splunk Enterprise Security, IT Service Intelligence, etc.

SSO Integration: Single Sign-On (SSO) integration is supported, allowing organizations to leverage their existing identity providers for authentication.

IP address whitelisting and blacklisting: To enhance security, managed Splunk Cloud environments allow for IP address whitelisting and blacklisting to control access.

Given the options:

Option C correctly lists these features, making it the accurate choice.

Option A incorrectly states "no IP address whitelisting or blacklisting," which is indeed available.

Option B mentions "no SSO integration" and "no availability of premium apps," both of which are inaccurate.

Option D talks about a "maximum concurrent search limit of 20," which does not represent the standard limit settings and may vary based on the subscription level.

Splunk Documentation References:

Splunk Cloud Features and Capabilities

Single Sign-On (SSO) in Splunk Cloud

Security and Access Control in Splunk Cloud

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

The acceptFrom parameter is used in Splunk to specify which IP addresses or DNS names are allowed to send data to a Splunk instance. The supported formats include IPv4, IPv6, CIDR notation, and DNS names.

B. IPv4, IPv6, CIDRs, DNS names is the correct answer. These are the valid formats that can be used with the acceptFrom argument. Wildcards are not supported in acceptFrom parameters for security reasons, as they would allow overly broad access.

Splunk Documentation References:

acceptFrom Parameter Usage

Explanation: The ellipsis (...) in [monitor:///var/log/.../*.log] allows Splunk to monitor files ending in .log in all nested directories under /var/log/. [Reference: Splunk Docs on monitor stanza syntax]

Explanation: A heavy forwarder is appropriate in this scenario because it can perform additional data parsing, filtering, and routing before forwarding data to Splunk Cloud. This is particularly useful for data that requires preprocessing or cannot be sent directly due to security policies. [Reference: Splunk Docs on forwarder types and capabilities]

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