Topic 2: Questions Set 2
Which of the following statements describes Search workflow actions?
A. By default. Search workflow actions will run as a real-time search.
B. Search workflow actions can be configured as scheduled searches,
C. The user can define the time range of the search when created the workflow action.
D. Search workflow actions cannot be configured with a search string that includes the transaction command
Explanation:
Search Workflow Actions in Splunk allow users to create custom clickable actions from search results that trigger additional searches, reports, or external actions.
Key Characteristics of Search Workflow Actions:
✔ Customizable Time Range:
When configuring a workflow action, you can specify a time range (e.g., last 60 minutes, last 24 hours) for the resulting search.
Example: If you click on an IP address in an event, the workflow action can search for all logs from that IP in the last hour.
❌ Incorrect Options:
A) Workflow actions do not run as real-time searches by default. They use the time range defined in the configuration.
B) Workflow actions are not scheduled searches—they are triggered manually by clicking on results.
D) Workflow actions can use the transaction command if needed (though it may impact performance).
When to Use Workflow Actions?
Drill-down searches (e.g., clicking an error ID to see related logs).
External links (e.g., opening a ticket in Jira based on an event).
Which of the following data model are included In the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) add-on? (select all that apply)
A. Alerts
B. Email
C. Database
D. User permissions
Explanation:
D. User permissions is not included in the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) add-on.
The Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) add-on includes a variety of data models to standardize and normalize data across different domains. According to the official Splunk documentation, the CIM encompasses data models such as:
Alerts: This data model describes alerts produced by alerting systems, such as Nagios or NetCool, for use in Splunk correlation searches or dashboards.
Email: This data model describes email traffic, whether server-to-server or client-to-server.
Databases: This data model covers database-related events and metrics.
However, there is no data model specifically for User permissions within the CIM. While user-related information may be present in other data models like Authentication or Data Access, there isn't a dedicated data model for user permissions.
Ref: docs.splunk.com
Understanding which data models are included in the CIM is crucial for effectively utilizing Splunk's capabilities in data normalization and correlation.
What is the correct syntax to search for a tag associated with a value on a specific fields?
A. Tag-
B. Tag
C. Tag=
D. Tag::
Explanation:
In Splunk, when you're searching for tags associated with field values, the proper syntax is:
tag::
This allows you to find events where a particular field-value pair has been assigned a tag.
Syntax breakdown:
tag:: — Indicates you're referencing a tag.
✅ Example:
If you want to search for events tagged to src="192.168.1.1", you would write:
tag::src=192.168.1.1
Other Options Explained:
A. Tag- — Invalid syntax in Splunk.
B. Tag — Not a complete or valid syntax on its own.
C. Tag=:: — Incorrect format; does not follow Splunk’s tagging syntax.
D. Tag::= — Correct form when specifying tag syntax, used like tag::
A space is an implied _____ in a search string.
A. OR
B. AND
C. ()
D. NOT
Explanation:
In Splunk's Search Processing Language (SPL), a space between search terms acts as an implied AND operator. This means Splunk will return events that match all of the terms separated by spaces.
Example:
spl
error login
This is interpreted as:
spl
error AND login
→ Only events containing both "error" and "login" will be returned.
Why Not the Other Options?
A) OR → Requires an explicit OR (e.g., error OR login).
C) () → Parentheses group terms but don’t replace the space operator.
D) NOT → Excludes terms (e.g., error NOT login).
Key Takeaway:
✔ No operator between terms = AND (must match all).
✔ Use OR, NOT, or AND explicitly for different logic.
✔ Example of overriding implied AND:
spl
(error OR fail) AND login
When creating a Search workflow action, which field is required?
A. Search string
B. Data model name
C. Permission setting
D. An eval statement
Explanation:
When creating a Search workflow action in Splunk, the Search string is a required field. This defines the search that will be executed when the workflow action is triggered (e.g., clicking on a field value in search results).
Why is the Search string required?
It specifies what query Splunk should run when the action is clicked.
Example: If you create a workflow action for the field user_id, the search string might be:
spl
user_id=$click.value$
(Where $click.value$ dynamically inserts the clicked value.)
Why Not the Other Options?
B) Data model name → Optional (only needed if querying a data model).
C) Permission setting → Important but not required at creation.
D) An eval statement → Used for field manipulation, not workflow actions.
Key Takeaway:
✔ Search string is mandatory (defines the follow-up search).
✔ Other fields (label, app, permissions) are configurable but optional.
When performing a regular expression (regex) field extraction using the Field Extractor (FX), what happens when the require option is used?
A. The regex can no longer be edited.
B. The field being extracted will be required for all future events.
C. The events without the required field will not display in searches.
D. Only events with the required string will be included in the extraction.
Explanation:
When using the Field Extractor (FX) in Splunk and you enable the "require" option while creating a regular expression (regex) field extraction, you are specifying that:
✅ Only events that contain the required string pattern will be considered for field extraction.
This "require" step helps narrow down the scope of events for which the field extraction applies — improving both performance and accuracy.
✅ Example:
Imagine you are extracting a field user from events that have the pattern:
user=jsmith
If you check the "Require" box for user=, only events containing the string user= will be processed by the regex.
Events without that string will be excluded from extraction.
❌ Why the other options are incorrect:
A. The regex can no longer be edited — False. You can still edit the regex after applying the require option.
B. The field being extracted will be required for all future events — Misleading. It only affects field extraction context, not data ingestion.
C. The events without the required field will not display in searches — False. They still appear in searches; they just won’t be processed by this extraction.
What does the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) add-on include? (select all that apply)
A. Custom visualizations
B. Pre-configured data models
C. Fields and event category tags
D. Automatic data model acceleration
Explanation:
The Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) add-on standardizes data normalization for consistent reporting and correlation. Here’s what it includes:
✔ B. Pre-configured data models
Provides out-of-the-box data models (e.g., Authentication, Network_Traffic, Malware) to structure raw data into meaningful datasets.
✔ C. Fields and event category tags
Defines standardized field names (e.g., user, src_ip, action) and tags (e.g., authentication=success) for uniform categorization.
❌ Excluded Options:
A. Custom visualizations → Not part of CIM (handled by dashboards or other add-ons).
D. Automatic data model acceleration → Requires manual setup in datamodels.conf or Splunk Web.
Key Benefits of CIM:
Ensures consistent field naming across datasets.
Enables cross-source correlation (e.g., linking firewall logs with authentication events).
Required for compatible apps (e.g., Splunk Enterprise Security).
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