What does the followTail attribute do in inputs.conf?
Answer : D
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 Reference:
followTail Attribute Documentation
Monitoring Files
These answers align with Splunk's best practices and available documentation on managing and configuring Splunk environments.
What Splunk command will allow an administrator to view the runtime configuration instructions for a monitored file in Inputs. cont on the forwarders?
Answer : C
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/monitor is 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 Reference:
Splunk REST API - Data Inputs
A log file is being ingested into Splunk, and a few events have no date stamp. How would Splunk first try to determine the missing date of the events?
Answer : D
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]
Which of the following statements is true regarding sedcmd?
Answer : D
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]
A monitor has been created in inputs. con: for a directory that contains a mix of file types.
How would a Cloud Admin fine-tune assigned sourcetypes for different files in the directory during the input phase?
Answer : B
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 Reference:
Configuring Inputs and Sourcetypes
Fine-tuning sourcetypes
In which file can the SH0ULD_LINEMERCE setting be modified?
Answer : C
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
Which of the following is not a path used by Splunk to execute scripts?
Answer : C
Splunk executes scripts from specific directories that are structured within its installation paths. These directories typically include:
SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/bin: This directory is used to store scripts that are part of the core Splunk system configuration.
SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/
SPLUNK_HOME/bin/scripts: This is a standard directory for storing scripts that may be globally accessible within Splunk's environment.
However, C. SPLUNKHOMS/ctc/scripts/local is not a recognized or standard path used by Splunk for executing scripts. This path does not adhere to the typical directory structure within the SPLUNK_HOME environment, making it the correct answer as it does not correspond to a valid script execution path in Splunk.
Splunk Documentation Reference:
Using Custom Scripts in Splunk
Directory Structure of SPLUNK_HOME