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CCNA Splunk Admin Basics Questions

33 questions · Splunk Admin Basics topic · All types, answers revealed

1
MCQmedium

When configuring an indexer to receive data on port 9997, you notice that the Splunkd process is failing to bind to the port. What is the most likely cause?

A.The indexer is not configured in the search head cluster.
B.Another process is already using the port.
C.The license is expired.
D.The indexer is missing a forwarder license.
AnswerB

Port conflicts are the primary reason for failure to bind to a network port.

Why this answer

Another process (or a previous instance of Splunk) is likely already holding that port open.

2
MCQeasy

What is the default port used by the Splunk Web interface?

A.8000
B.9997
C.8089
D.443
AnswerA

8000 is the default web interface port.

Why this answer

8000 is the standard default port for Splunk Web.

3
MCQmedium

An administrator needs to change the default maximum size of an index. Which file should be modified?

A.server.conf
B.indexes.conf
C.props.conf
D.limits.conf
AnswerB

indexes.conf is used to define index-specific settings.

Why this answer

indexes.conf is the authoritative file for index settings including 'maxTotalDataSizeMB'.

4
MCQeasy

Which of the following is a valid method to restart the Splunk service on a Linux system?

A./opt/splunk/bin/splunk restart
B.service splunk stop && service splunk start
C./opt/splunk/bin/splunk reload
D.kill -9 $(pidof splunkd)
AnswerA

This is the native Splunk binary command.

Why this answer

The standard system-level command for restarting Splunk is '/opt/splunk/bin/splunk restart'.

5
MCQeasy

Where are the local configuration files for an installed app located?

A./var/log/splunk/
B.$SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/local/
C.$SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/<app_name>/local/
D.$SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/<app_name>/default/
AnswerC

Local overrides are stored in the local directory of the app folder.

Why this answer

App-specific local configurations are located in the local/ directory within the app folder.

6
MCQeasy

Which Splunk component is primarily responsible for parsing and indexing incoming data streams?

A.Indexer
B.Deployment Server
C.Universal Forwarder
D.Search Head
AnswerA

The indexer is the core component that indexes data.

Why this answer

The Indexer performs the heavy lifting of processing, parsing, and storing indexed data.

7
MCQeasy

An administrator needs to install a new technology add-on on a standalone Search Head. Which menu path in Splunk Web is used to perform this action?

A.Settings -> Forwarder Management
B.Settings -> Data Inputs -> Add new
C.Settings -> Apps -> Install app from file
D.Settings -> Server Settings -> System Settings
AnswerC

This is the correct path for manually uploading and installing an app package.

Why this answer

Apps -> Manage Apps -> Install app from file is the standard path in Splunk Web.

8
Multi-Selecthard

Which THREE of the following configurations can be performed in props.conf?

Select 3 answers
A.Specifying timestamp extraction rules.
B.Defining sourcetype properties.
C.Defining field extraction regexes.
D.Setting index retention periods.
E.Configuring TCP input ports.
AnswersA, B, C

TIME_PREFIX and related settings go here.

Why this answer

props.conf manages sourcetype definitions, timestamping, and field extractions.

9
MCQmedium

A user reports they cannot see data from a specific sourcetype after enabling a new input on the indexer. Which Splunk CLI command can you run on the indexer to verify if data is being ingested for that sourcetype?

A.splunk list inputs
B.splunk search "index=* sourcetype=your_type" | head 10
C.splunk status
D.splunk show conf
AnswerB

This verifies that data is successfully hitting the indexer and is searchable.

Why this answer

The 'splunk search' command allows you to verify data ingestion directly from the CLI.

10
MCQmedium

Which Splunk process is responsible for the actual indexing of data on the indexer?

A.splunkweb
B.splunkd
C.mongod
D.splunk-optimize
AnswerB

Splunkd is the core process that handles indexing and management.

Why this answer

Splunkd is the main daemon responsible for all core Splunk functionality, including indexing.

11
MCQmedium

You need to ensure that specific data is retained for 365 days. Which parameter in indexes.conf controls this?

A.retentionPeriodDays
B.coldPathRetention
C.maxDataSize
D.frozenTimePeriodInSecs
AnswerD

This setting dictates the retention period in seconds.

Why this answer

'frozenTimePeriodInSecs' defines the duration in seconds that data stays in an index before being moved to frozen/deleted.

12
Multi-Selectmedium

Which TWO of the following directories are used to store Splunk configuration files?

Select 2 answers
A./var/
B./default/
C./etc/
D./bin/
E./local/
AnswersB, E

Contains original settings.

Why this answer

Default and Local directories are the standard locations for configuration files.

13
MCQmedium

You need to create a new user account and assign them to the 'power' role. Which interface provides the most direct way to do this?

A.Settings -> Roles
B.Settings -> Server Settings
C.Settings -> Access Controls -> Users
D.Settings -> Authentication Method
AnswerC

This is the designated menu for managing Splunk users.

Why this answer

Settings -> Users provides the UI to create and modify user attributes and roles.

14
MCQmedium

Which Splunk component should be used to distribute configuration files to a large fleet of Universal Forwarders?

A.Deployment Server
B.Heavy Forwarder
C.Indexer Cluster Master
D.Search Head Cluster Deployer
AnswerA

The Deployment Server is designed for forwarder configuration management.

Why this answer

The Deployment Server is the primary mechanism for centralizing and pushing configuration updates to forwarders.

15
Multi-Selectmedium

Which THREE of the following actions can be performed from the 'Settings' menu in Splunk Web?

Select 3 answers
A.Write raw C++ code for the Splunk engine.
B.Manage user roles.
C.Restart the physical OS.
D.Create data inputs.
E.Manage indexes.
AnswersB, D, E

Roles are managed under Settings -> Access Controls.

Why this answer

Settings includes access to indexes, knowledge objects, and licensing.

16
Multi-Selecthard

Which THREE of the following are components of a standard Splunk architecture?

Select 3 answers
A.Database Server
B.Web Server
C.Universal Forwarder
D.Indexer
E.Search Head
AnswersC, D, E

Forwarder collects data.

Why this answer

Indexers, Search Heads, and Forwarders are the core components of Splunk architecture.

17
MCQmedium

You notice that data is being indexed with the wrong timestamp. Which configuration file is used to specify timestamp extraction rules?

A.indexes.conf
B.inputs.conf
C.transforms.conf
D.props.conf
AnswerD

props.conf is where you define timestamp extraction rules.

Why this answer

The TIME_PREFIX and TIME_FORMAT settings in props.conf determine how Splunk parses timestamps from raw logs.

18
MCQeasy

After installing a new app, you notice that the app's dashboards are not appearing in the user's view. What is the first thing you should check?

A.The server license status.
B.The splunkd logs for critical errors.
C.The app permissions in 'Manage Apps'.
D.The indexer cluster master status.
AnswerC

Permissions control whether an app is visible to specific user roles.

Why this answer

If the app is installed but not visible, the user's permissions for the app or the dashboard objects are likely missing.

19
MCQhard

You have a distributed environment. You need to ensure that specific knowledge objects (saved searches) created on a Search Head are available to all other Search Heads. What is the recommended way to handle this?

A.Use a Search Head Cluster and push the bundle via the deployer.
B.Manually copy the local/savedsearches.conf file to every server.
C.Enable indexer discovery on all search heads.
D.Restart the Splunk services on all search heads.
AnswerA

The deployer is the official tool for distributing configurations in a Search Head Cluster.

Why this answer

Splunk configurations should be managed via the Deployment Server or a Configuration Management tool like Git/Ansible to ensure consistency across search heads.

20
Multi-Selectmedium

Which TWO of the following settings are typically found in inputs.conf?

Select 2 answers
A.[tcp://...]
B.[indexer_cluster]
C.[index_retention]
D.[search_head]
E.[monitor://...]
AnswersA, E

Defines a TCP network input.

Why this answer

inputs.conf is used to monitor files and listen on network ports.

21
MCQhard

You need to restrict a specific user role from searching a particular index. Where is this configuration defined?

A.user-prefs.conf
B.indexes.conf
C.authentication.conf
D.authorize.conf
AnswerD

authorize.conf contains the roles and their associated search permissions.

Why this answer

Role-based access control (RBAC) allows you to restrict indexed data access via the 'srchIndexesAllowed' setting in authorize.conf.

22
MCQmedium

An administrator needs to increase the number of search results displayed in a dashboard panel. Where can this limit be adjusted?

A.props.conf
B.authorize.conf
C.limits.conf
D.savedsearches.conf
AnswerC

limits.conf governs various search result constraints.

Why this answer

limits.conf contains global search limits including 'maxresults'.

23
Multi-Selecthard

Which TWO of the following are true regarding the Deployment Server?

Select 2 answers
A.It manages configurations for deployment clients.
B.It organizes deployment clients into server classes.
C.It can only manage forwarders on the same subnet.
D.It is a required component for all Splunk deployments.
E.It is responsible for indexing raw logs.
AnswersA, B

The DS manages forwarder configurations.

Why this answer

The DS distributes apps to deployment clients and keeps them in sync.

24
Multi-Selecteasy

Which THREE of the following items are considered Knowledge Objects in Splunk?

Select 3 answers
A.Network cables.
B.Hard drives.
C.Saved searches.
D.Dashboards.
E.Alerts.
AnswersC, D, E

Saved searches are persistent queries.

Why this answer

Saved searches, dashboards, and alerts are all standard Splunk Knowledge Objects.

25
MCQeasy

What is the primary function of the 'Indexer Cluster' feature?

A.To increase the web interface speed.
B.To provide data replication and high availability.
C.To speed up search queries across multiple head nodes.
D.To manage user permissions for index access.
AnswerB

Indexer clusters ensure data is replicated to prevent loss.

Why this answer

Indexer Clustering provides data high availability and replication across multiple indexers.

26
MCQhard

If you want to move the index data directory to a new partition, what setting in indexes.conf must be updated?

A.dataDir
B.homePath
C.maxTotalDataSizeMB
D.indexPool
AnswerB

homePath specifies the directory where data is stored.

Why this answer

The 'homePath' (or 'coldPath'/'thawedPath') defines the physical location of the data on the disk.

27
Multi-Selectmedium

Which TWO of the following are valid ways to monitor the status of a Splunk instance?

Select 2 answers
A.Checking the /tmp directory for lock files.
B.Reading the indexer cluster's raw binary data.
C.Pinging the forwarder's local web port.
D.Running the 'splunk status' command.
E.Using the Monitoring Console app in Splunk Web.
AnswersD, E

The CLI tool is the standard method.

Why this answer

Monitoring can be done via the CLI 'splunk status' or the Monitoring Console in the GUI.

28
MCQhard

You are troubleshooting a parsing issue where multiline events are not being grouped correctly. Where in the configuration files would you adjust the 'BREAK_ONLY_BEFORE' setting?

A.outputs.conf
B.inputs.conf
C.indexes.conf
D.props.conf
AnswerD

props.conf is where parsing rules like multiline handling are defined.

Why this answer

This setting is defined in props.conf under the specific sourcetype stanza.

29
Multi-Selectmedium

Which TWO of the following are true about the Universal Forwarder?

Select 2 answers
A.It is designed to have a minimal resource footprint.
B.It can only forward data to one indexer at a time.
C.It requires a full Splunk Enterprise license.
D.It performs no parsing of the data it collects.
E.It performs full data parsing and indexing.
AnswersA, D

The UF is intentionally lightweight.

Why this answer

Universal forwarders perform no parsing and have a minimal footprint.

30
MCQmedium

You are configuring a Universal Forwarder to send logs to an Indexer Cluster. Where should you define the outputs.conf file to ensure the forwarder correctly balances traffic across all indexers?

A.$SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/default/
B.$SPLUNK_HOME/etc/manager/local/
C.$SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/local/
D.$SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/search/local/
AnswerC

This is the correct location for global configuration overrides on a forwarder.

Why this answer

The outputs.conf file on the Universal Forwarder should contain the indexer cluster master's discovery URI to obtain the indexer list.

31
Multi-Selecthard

Which TWO of the following are true regarding Indexer Clustering?

Select 2 answers
A.It allows search heads to search across all indexers.
B.It eliminates the need for any forwarders.
C.It automatically handles the installation of Splunk software.
D.It requires at least one Master node.
E.The Master node performs the actual indexing.
AnswersA, D

Search heads query the cluster to get results from all relevant indexers.

Why this answer

Indexer clusters use a master to coordinate replication and ensure high availability.

32
MCQhard

An administrator wants to prevent events from a specific IP address from being stored in an index. Which file and stanza would you use for this indexing-time filter?

A.inputs.conf: [monitor://...]
B.outputs.conf: [tcpout]
C.props.conf: [default]
D.transforms.conf: [setnull]
AnswerD

The 'setnull' queue in transforms.conf is the standard way to drop data.

Why this answer

You must use transforms.conf with a regex rule and link it to props.conf to discard data at index time.

33
MCQhard

You are troubleshooting a connection issue from a forwarder to an indexer. Which log file on the indexer would best show connection attempts from forwarders?

A.splunkd.log
B.audit.log
C.web_service.log
D.metrics.log
AnswerA

splunkd.log records service activity and connection events.

Why this answer

splunkd.log is the main log file that records all network connection events and errors for the Splunk service.

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