SPLK-1002 Advanced Visualization and Lookups Practice Question
A security analyst needs to enrich authentication logs with employee department information stored in a CSV file called 'employees.csv'. The CSV has fields: 'emp_id', 'name', 'department'. The authentication logs contain a field 'user_id' that matches 'emp_id'. Which search correctly enriches the events with the department field?
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
✓
`index=auth | lookup employees.csv emp_id AS user_id OUTPUT department`
It uses the proper lookup syntax: `lookup <lookup-table> <lookup-field> AS <event-field> OUTPUT <output-field>`. Here, `employees.csv emp_id AS user_id` maps the lookup field `emp_id` to the event field `user_id`, and outputs the `department` field. Option A incorrectly maps `user_id` to `emp_id`, which would look for a lookup field `user_id` and rename it, but the lookup table column is `emp_id`, so it will not match correctly. Option C has the same mapping error as A, and additionally outputs `name`, which is not required. Option D uses `inputlookup` which returns the contents of the lookup table, not enriching the events with a join.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
`index=auth | lookup employees.csv user_id AS emp_id OUTPUT department`
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect mapping: user_id is mapped to emp_id, but user_id is the search field, not the lookup field.
- ✓
`index=auth | lookup employees.csv emp_id AS user_id OUTPUT department`
Why this is correct
Correct syntax: lookup field emp_id is matched to search field user_id, and department is output.
- ✗
`index=auth | lookup employees.csv user_id AS emp_id OUTPUT department, name`
Why it's wrong here
Same incorrect mapping as A, and outputs extra fields unnecessarily.
- ✗
`index=auth | inputlookup employees.csv where user_id=emp_id | table *`
Why it's wrong here
inputlookup reads the lookup file directly, not enriching events; it returns the lookup table rows.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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