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

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

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

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

Explanation: Splunk Cloud enables only a subset of REST API endpoints for customer use to ensure security and control over the environment, allowing essential functionality while maintaining a secure setup. [Reference: Splunk Docs on REST API access in Splunk Cloud]

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]

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]

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: For setting up a deployment client, the correct stanza syntax in inputs.conf includes specifying targetUri with the port 8089, which is the management port for Splunk instances, not the data port 9997. [Reference: Splunk Docs on deployment server configurations]

Explanation: Any modifications in capacity or configurations within Splunk Cloud require an official support ticket, as they are managed by Splunk Cloud support teams to ensure consistent and secure changes. [Reference: Splunk Docs on Splunk Cloud support requests]

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

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

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

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

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

In Splunk Cloud, you can install apps via self-service, which allows you to install certain approved apps without involving Splunk Support. This self-service capability is provided for apps that have already been vetted and approved for use in the Splunk Cloud environment.

Option A typically requires support involvement because premium apps often need licensing or other special considerations.

Option B might involve the Request Install button, but some apps might still require vetting or support approval.

Option D is incorrect because apps that have not gone through the vetting process cannot be installed via self-service and would require Splunk Support for evaluation and approval.

Splunk Documentation Reference: Install apps on Splunk Cloud

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

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

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

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, 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