Free Practice Questions for Splunk SPLK-3003 Exam

The authorize.conf setting: srchIndexesDefault specifies the default indexes that are searched when a user does not specify an index in their search. If this setting is set to no value, then the user must specify an index in their search, otherwise they will get no results. Therefore, the correct answer is A. Set the authorize.conf setting: srchIndexesDefault to no value. References:

Splunk Core Certified Consultant Test Blueprint

Splunk Documentation: About authorize.conf

Splunk Documentation: Configure user roles with authorize.conf

When an index cluster peer freezes a bucket, it means that the bucket has reached the end of its retention period and is either deleted or archived, depending on the configuration. When a bucket is frozen, the cluster master will no longer perform fix-up activities for the bucket, such as replicating it to other peers or promoting it to primary. The cluster master will also update its list of buckets and remove the frozen bucket from the peer’s inventory. Therefore, the correct answer is C. The cluster master will no longer perform fix-up activities for the bucket. References:

Splunk Core Certified Consultant Test Blueprint

Splunk Documentation: How indexer clusters handle frozen buckets

Splunk Documentation: Manage frozen data

Remove the site from the list of available sites and create an alias for where the new data should be sent. This is the recommended procedure for decommissioning a site from a multi-site indexer cluster, as it ensures that the cluster can continue to function properly and maintain the desired replication and search factors. Removing the site from the list of available sites prevents the cluster master from assigning any new buckets to that site, and triggers a bucket fix-up operation to redistribute the existing buckets to other sites. Creating an alias for where the new data should be sent allows the forwarders that were sending data to the decommissioned site to redirect their data to another site, without changing their configuration.

The other options are incorrect because they either do not address the question or they cause problems for the cluster. Option A is incorrect because decommissioning a site is possible and sometimes necessary, such as when a site is permanently offline or no longer needed. Option B is incorrect because creating an alias for where the new data should be sent is not enough to decommission a site, as it does not affect the existing buckets on that site, which might still be used for replication and search purposes. Option C is incorrect because removing the site from the list of available sites is not enough to decommission a site, as it does not affect the forwarders that were sending data to that site, which might still try to connect to it and cause errors or delays. References:

Splunk Core Consultant knowledge source documents or study guide: https://www.splunk.com/en_us/resources/splunk-certification-exam-study-guide.html

Splunk Test Blueprint Consultant: https://www.splunk.com/en_us/pdfs/training/splunk-test-blueprint-consultant.pdf

Decommission a multisite indexer cluster1

Configure forwarders with common settings2

The bucket types (hot, warm, or cold) have the same search performance characteristics within the customer’s environment. This is because the customer’s indexers have a single storage device for all data, which means that there is no difference in the speed or access time of the data stored in different bucket types. Splunk Enterprise stores indexed data in buckets, which are directories containing both the raw data and index files. The bucket types (hot, warm, or cold) indicate the age and status of the data in the buckets, but they do not affect the search performance by themselves. The search performance depends on the underlying storage device and its characteristics, such as I/O throughput, latency, and capacity.

The other options are incorrect because they either do not apply to the customer’s environment or they contain false or misleading information. Option B is incorrect because thawed buckets are not a regular bucket type, but rather a special type of buckets that are restored from frozen or archived data. Thawed buckets do not have any optimized structure that makes them more performant than other bucket types. Option C is incorrect because cold buckets are not miniaturized by removing TSIDX files, which are the index files that enable fast searching of the data. Removing TSIDX files would make the data unsearchable, not faster to search. Option D is incorrect because the customer’s environment does not have a cheaper/slower storage volume for cold buckets, as they have a single storage device for all data. Even if they had a different storage volume for cold buckets, it would not necessarily be slower than SSD, as there are other factors that affect the storage performance, such as RAID configuration, caching, and compression. References:

Splunk Core Consultant knowledge source documents or study guide: https://www.splunk.com/en_us/resources/splunk-certification-exam-study-guide.html

Splunk Test Blueprint Consultant: https://www.splunk.com/en_us/pdfs/training/splunk-test-blueprint-consultant.pdf

How Splunk Enterprise stores indexed data1

How Splunk Enterprise handles frozen data2

As a best practice, the following should be used to ingest data on clustered indexers: splunktcp, splunktcp-ssl, HTTP Event Collector (HEC). These are the methods that allow data to be sent to the indexers by forwarders or other data sources, without requiring any configuration on the indexers themselves. The indexers can receive the data on specific ports and index it according to the cluster settings. These methods also support load balancing and encryption of the data. Therefore, the correct answer is D. splunktcp, splunktcp-ssl, HTTP Event Collector (HEC). References:

Splunk Core Certified Consultant Test Blueprint

Splunk Documentation: Forward data to an indexer cluster

Splunk Documentation: About forwarding and receiving data

 Each HEC input requires a unique name but token values can be shared. The name is a human-readable identifier for the input that appears in Splunk Web. The name must be unique among all HEC inputs on the same Splunk platform instance. The token value is a string of alphanumeric characters that acts as an identifier and an authentication code for the input. You can use the same token value for multiple inputs, but it is recommended to use different tokens for different data sources or applications. References :=

Set up and use HTTP Event Collector in Splunk Web

HTTP Event Collector: How to Install and Configure HEC in Splunk Web

A heavy forwarder (HF) would be a more appropriate choice than a universal forwarder (UF) when a predictable version of Python is required. This is because the HF includes a bundled version of Python that can be used to run scripts or custom commands, whereas the UF does not include Python and relies on the system version. This can cause compatibility issues or unexpected results if the system version of Python is different from the one expected by the script or command. Therefore, using an HF can ensure that the script or command runs consistently and reliably with the same version of Python. References:

[Splunk Certification Exam Study Guide], page 13

[Splunk Documentation: About forwarding and receiving data]

[Splunk Documentation: About Splunk Enterprise forwarders]

The pass4SymmKey is a security key that lets various components of Splunk Enterprise authenticate securely with one another. The pass4SymmKey for an indexer cluster is configured in the server.conf file under the [clustering] stanza. To find the pass4SymmKey of an indexer cluster, the most efficient command is C, $SPLUNK_HOME/bin/splunk btool server list clustering | grep pass4SymmKey. This command uses btool to list the effective settings for the clustering service from the server.conf file and filters the output by grep to show only the pass4SymmKey value. The other commands are either incorrect or less efficient. References :=

Secure Splunk Enterprise services with pass4SymmKey

Use btool to troubleshoot configurations

The correct process and procedure for migrating a Splunk index cluster to new hardware is as follows:

Install new indexers. This step involves installing the Splunk Enterprise software on the new machines and configuring them with the same network settings, OS settings, and hardware specifications as the original indexers.

Configure indexers into the cluster as peers; ensure they receive the cluster bundle and the same configuration as original peers. This step involves joining the new indexers to the existing cluster as peer nodes, using the same cluster master and replication factor. The new indexers should also receive the same configuration files as the original peers, either by copying them manually or by using a deployment server. The cluster bundle contains the indexes.conf file and other files that define the index settings and data retention policies for the cluster.

Decommission old peers one at a time. This step involves removing the old indexers from the cluster gracefully, using the splunk offline command or the REST API endpoint /services/cluster/master/control/control/decommission. This ensures that the cluster master redistributes the primary buckets from the old peers to the new peers, and that no data is lost during the migration process.

Remove old peers from the CM’s list. This step involves deleting the old indexers from the list of peer nodes maintained by the cluster master, using the splunk remove server command or the REST API endpoint /services/cluster/master/peers. This ensures that the cluster master does not try to communicate with the old peers or assign them any search or replication tasks.

Update forwarders to forward to the new peers. This step involves updating the outputs.conf file on the forwarders that send data to the cluster, so that they point to the new indexers instead of the old ones. This ensures that the data ingestion process is not disrupted by the migration.

References:

Splunk Core Certified Consultant Test Blueprint

Splunk Documentation: Migrate an indexer cluster

Splunk Documentation: Decommission a peer node

Splunk Documentation: Remove a peer node from an indexer cluster

Splunk Documentation: Configure forwarders with outputs.conf

 The Search Job Inspector can be used to debug searches if the search has not expired. This means that the search artifact still exists on the search head and can be inspected for performance and error information. The Search Job Inspector can be accessed from the Job menu in Splunk Web, or by using the btool command with the job_inspector option. The search does not need to be running or queued to use the Search Job Inspector, as long as it has not expired. Therefore, the correct answer is A, if the search has not expired. References :=

View search job properties

Use btool to troubleshoot configurations