Pass the Splunk Core Certified Consultant SPLK-3003 Questions and answers with ExamsMirror

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

 What happens to the indexer cluster when the indexer Cluster Master (CM) runs out of disk space is that the indexer cluster will continue to operate as long as no indexers fail. The CM does not store any indexed data or participate in data replication or searching. It only manages the cluster by maintaining information about peer status, bucket status, and search head status. Therefore, if the CM runs out of disk space, it will not affect the normal functioning of the indexers or search heads, unless an indexer fails or needs to be added or removed from the cluster. In that case, the CM will not be able to perform its management tasks and may cause data unavailability or inconsistency in the cluster. References:

https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/9.1.1/Indexer/Systemrequirements#Cluster_master_node

https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/9.1.1/Indexer/Masterfunctions

 The indexer cluster is classed as ‘Indexing Ready’ when it has enough indexers to meet the replication factor. In this case, the replication factor is 2, which means that each bucket of data must have two copies across the indexers. Therefore, the cluster is ready to ingest new data after Step 6, when Indexer 2 joins the cluster and replicates the data from Indexer 1. Indexer 3 is not required for the cluster to be indexing ready, although it can provide additional redundancy and search performance. References :=

Indexer cluster configuration overview

The basics of indexer cluster architecture

 This method would reduce the amount of bucket replication operations during the migration process, because it would prevent the old indexers from participating in replication and search activities, while preserving their existing buckets. This way, the new indexers can take over the replication and search roles without having to compete with the old indexers for network and disk resources. The old indexers can then be decommissioned or repurposed after the migration is complete.

The other options are incorrect because they either do not reduce the amount of bucket replication operations, or they cause data loss or unavailability. Option A is incorrect because disabling the indexing ports on the old indexers would only stop them from receiving new data, but it would not stop them from replicating and searching existing data. Option B is incorrect because disabling replication ports on the old indexers would cause them to lose contact with the cluster master and other peers, which would trigger bucket fix-up operations and increase the replication load on the cluster. Option D is incorrect because putting the old indexers into automatic detention would cause them to delete their existing buckets, which would result in data loss and trigger bucket fix-up operations. 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

Migrate an indexer cluster to new hardware1

Detain a peer node2

The input type that would be most appropriate to use in order to ensure files are ingested and then deleted afterwards is batch. The batch input type monitors a directory for files, reads each file once, and then deletes or archives the file. The batch input type is useful when the files are not continuously updated, but rather created and moved to a directory for Splunk to process. The batch input type requires that the Universal Forwarder has read/write access to the directory structure, which is the case for the customer. Therefore, the correct answer is B. Batch. References:

Splunk Core Certified Consultant Test Blueprint

Splunk Documentation: Monitor files and directories with inputs.conf

Splunk Documentation: Use batch input

According to the Splunk Core Consultant study guide, the correct mapping for the deployment of a new environment for a customer is Option D. This is because it follows the PS best practices for mapping, which include the use of the org_cluster_search_base, org_cluster_indexer_base, and org_all_indexes indexes. Additionally, Option D also includes the use of the etc/apps and etc/master-apps directories, which are recommended for the deployment of a new environment. References:

Splunk Core Consultant study guide

Splunk Core Consultant test blueprint

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 Splunk Validated Architectures (SVAs) are proven reference architectures for stable, efficient and repeatable Splunk deployments. They offer topology options that consider a wide array of organizational requirements, so the customer can easily understand and find a topology that is right for their needs. The SVAs also provide design principles and best practices to help the customer build an environment that is easier to maintain and troubleshoot. The SVAs are available on the Splunk website and can be customized using the Interactive Splunk Validated Architecture (iSVA) tool.

The other options are incorrect because they do not provide the customer with a reliable and tailored resource to help them design their new architecture. Option A is too vague and does not point the customer to a specific document or section. Option B is irrelevant and does not address the customer’s architectural needs. Option C is unreliable and does not guarantee that the customer will find a suitable solution for their requirements.

 Option A is the most efficient search because it uses the tstats command, which is a fast and scalable way to search indexed fields in the _internal index. The tstats command does not need to retrieve the raw events from the index, but instead uses the tsidx files that store the metadata and summary information about the events. The tstats command also supports distributed search and can run on multiple indexers in parallel. Option B is less efficient because it uses the stats command, which requires retrieving the raw events from the index and performing calculations on them. Option C is less efficient because it does not specify the index or source type, which means it will search all the data on the instance. Option D is less efficient because it uses the search command, which is redundant and slows down the search performance. References:

Types of searches - Splunk Documentation

Quick tips for optimization - Splunk Documentation

Solved: best tips for speeding up searches? - Splunk Community