SPLK-1002 Advanced Visualization and Lookups Practice Question
A large e-commerce company has a Splunk environment ingesting web server logs from multiple data centers. The security team needs to visualize failed login attempts over time, grouped by geographic region. They have a lookup file geo_region.csv that maps IP addresses to regions. The lookup is defined in transforms.conf with max_matches=0 (all matches) and is used as an automatic lookup in props.conf for the sourcetype 'web_access'. The search returns events with multiple region values per IP (because max_matches=0). The team wants a single region per event for accurate counting. They also need to reduce the number of events processed by filtering only login failures (status=401). Which approach should be taken?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates think `mvexpand` or `dedup` can fix the multivalue region issue, but they fail to realize that these commands either inflate counts or discard valid data, whereas adjusting the lookup configuration is the proper solution.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Modify the automatic lookup to use max_matches=1, and add | where status=401 to the search before the timechart
Modifying the automatic lookup to use max_matches=1 ensures that each event is assigned a single region, eliminating the need for deduplication or expansion. Adding the `| where status=401` filter before the timechart reduces the dataset to only failed login attempts, allowing accurate counting by region over time. This approach is efficient and directly addresses the requirement for a single region per event.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use | where status=401 | dedup src_ip | timechart count by region
Why it's wrong here
Dedup removes duplicate IPs but may lose legitimate events.
- ✓
Modify the automatic lookup to use max_matches=1, and add | where status=401 to the search before the timechart
Why this is correct
Filters early and ensures one region per event.
- ✗
Use | where status=401 | mvexpand region | timechart count by region
Why it's wrong here
Mvexpand creates multiple events per IP, inflating counts.
- ✗
Use | where status=401 | top limit=100 region
Why it's wrong here
Top shows most frequent regions, not a timechart.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SPLK-1002 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Splunk certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SPLK-1002 exam.