Splunk SPLK-2002 - Splunk Enterprise Certified Architect

The __introspection log file contains data about the impact of the Splunk software on the host system, such as CPU, memory, disk, and network usage, as well as KV store performance1. This log file is monitored by default and the contents are sent to the _introspection index1. The other options are not related to the __introspection log file. File monitor input configurations are stored in inputs.conf2. File monitor checkpoint offset is stored in fishbucket3. User activities and knowledge objects are stored in the _audit and _internal indexes respectively4.

This is the fall-back method for Splunk if .delta replication fails during knowledge bundle replication. Knowledge bundle replication is the process of distributing the knowledge objects, such as lookups, macros, and field extractions, from the search head cluster to the indexer cluster1. Splunk uses two methods of knowledge bundle replication: .delta replication and .bundle replication1. .Delta replication is the default and preferred method, as it only replicates the changes or updates to the knowledge objects, which reduces the network traffic and disk space usage1. However, if .delta replication fails for some reason, such as corrupted files or network errors, Splunk automatically switches to .bundle replication, which replicates the entire knowledge bundle, regardless of the changes or updates1. This ensures that the knowledge objects are always synchronized between the search head cluster and the indexer cluster, but it also consumes more network bandwidth and disk space1. The other options are not valid fall-back methods for Splunk. Option A, restarting splunkd, is not a method of knowledge bundle replication, but a way to restart the Splunk daemon on a node2. This may or may not fix the .delta replication failure, but it does not guarantee the synchronization of the knowledge objects. Option B, .delta replication, is not a fall-back method, but the primary method of knowledge bundle replication, which is assumed to have failed in the question1. Option D, restarting mongod, is not a method of knowledge bundle replication, but a way to restart the MongoDB daemon on a node3. This is not related to the knowledge bundle replication, but to the KV store replication, which is a different process3. Therefore, option C is the correct answer, and options A, B, and D are incorrect.

1: How knowledge bundle replication works 2: Start and stop Splunk Enterprise 3: Restart the KV store

Two indexers clustered is the recommended deployment for a customer who plans to ingest 600 GB of data per day into Splunk, has six concurrent users, and wants high data availability and high search performance. This deployment will provide enough indexing capacity and search concurrency for the customer’s needs, while also ensuring data replication and searchability across the cluster. The customer can also save on the hardware cost by using only two indexers. Two indexers not in a cluster will not provide high data availability, as there is no data replication or failover. Three indexers not in a cluster will provide more indexing capacity and search concurrency, but also more hardware cost and no data availability. The customer’s data retention period, number of long searches, or volume of saved/scheduled searches are not relevant for determining the number of indexers. For more information, see [Reference hardware] and [About indexer clusters and index replication] in the Splunk documentation.

The master node is the Splunk server role that regulates the functioning of the indexer cluster. The master node coordinates the activities of the peer nodes, such as data replication, data searchability, and data recovery. The master node also manages the cluster configuration bundle and distributes it to the peer nodes. The indexer is the Splunk server role that indexes the incoming data and makes it searchable. The deployer is the Splunk server role that distributes apps and configuration updates to the search head cluster members. The monitoring console is the Splunk server role that monitors the health and performance of the Splunk deployment. For more information, see About indexer clusters and index replication in the Splunk documentation.

When Splunk indexes data in a non-clustered environment, it creates index and .tsidx files by default. The index files contain the raw data that Splunk has ingested, compressed and encrypted. The .tsidx files contain the time-series index that maps the timestamps and event IDs of the raw data. The rawdata and index files are not the correct terms for the files that Splunk creates. The compressed and .tsidx files are partially correct, but compressed is not the proper name for the index files. The compressed and meta data files are also partially correct, but meta data is not the proper name for the .tsidx files.

According to the Splunk documentation1, the Splunk deployment topology is the part of the deployment plan that is vital prior to installing Splunk indexer clusters and search head clusters. The deployment topology defines the number and type of Splunk components, such as forwarders, indexers, search heads, and deployers, that you need to install and configure for your distributed deployment. The deployment topology also determines the network and hardware requirements, the data flow and replication, the high availability and disaster recovery options, and the security and performance considerations for your deployment2. The other options are false because:

Data source inventory is not the part of the deployment plan that is vital prior to installing Splunk indexer clusters and search head clusters, as it is a preliminary step that helps you identify the types, formats, locations, and volumes of data that you want to collect and analyze with Splunk. Data source inventory is important for planning your data ingestion and retention strategies, but it does not directly affect the installation and configuration of Splunk components3.

Data policy definitions are not the part of the deployment plan that is vital prior to installing Splunk indexer clusters and search head clusters, as they are the rules and guidelines that govern how you handle, store, and protect your data. Data policy definitions are important for ensuring data quality, security, and compliance, but they do not directly affect the installation and configuration of Splunk components4.

Education and training plans are not the part of the deployment plan that is vital prior to installing Splunk indexer clusters and search head clusters, as they are the learning resources and programs that help you and your team acquire the skills and knowledge to use Splunk effectively. Education and training plans are important for enhancing your Splunk proficiency and productivity, but they do not directly affect the installation and configuration of Splunk components5.

The index=_internal component=DC* host= search will show all deployment client messages from the universal forwarder. The component field indicates the type of Splunk component that generated the message, and the host field indicates the host name of the machine that sent the message. The index=_audit component=DC* host= search will not return any results, because the deployment client messages are not stored in the _audit index. The index=_internal component=DS* host= search will show the deployment server messages from the deployment server, not the client. The index=_audit component=DS* host= search will also not return any results, for the same reason as above

 The tailing_processor.log file would be the best place to search if you suspect there is a problem interpreting a regular expression in a monitor stanza. This log file contains information about how Splunk monitors files and directories, including any errors or warnings related to parsing the monitor stanza. The splunkd.log file contains general information about the Splunk daemon, but it may not have the specific details about the monitor stanza. The btool.log file contains information about the configuration files, but it does not log the runtime behavior of the monitor stanza. The metrics.log file contains information about the performance metrics of Splunk, but it does not log the event breaking issues. For more information, see About Splunk Enterprise logging in the Splunk documentation.

Index files (. tsidx files) are the main components of an index that store the raw data and the inverted index of terms. They take the most space in an index, especially if the raw data has many unique terms that increase the size of the inverted index. Bloom filters, source metadata, and sourcetype metadata are much smaller in comparison and do not depend on the number of unique terms in the raw data.

References:

How the indexer stores indexes

Splunk Enterprise Certified Architect Study Guide, page 17

According to the Splunk documentation1, the Splunk Deployer deploys app content to the etc/slave-apps/ directory on the search head cluster members by default. This directory contains the apps that the deployer distributes to the members as part of the configuration bundle. The other options are false because:

The etc/apps/ directory contains the apps that are installed locally on each member, not the apps that are distributed by the deployer2.

The etc/shcluster/ directory contains the configuration files for the search head cluster, not the apps that are distributed by the deployer3.

The etc/deploy-apps/ directory is not a valid Splunk directory, as it does not exist in the Splunk file system structure4.