Splunk SPLK-2002 Practice Exams
Last updated on Oct 07,2026- Exam Code: SPLK-2002
- Exam Name: Splunk Enterprise Certified Architect Exam
- Certification Provider: Splunk
- Latest update: Oct 07,2026
Question #111
What is the best method for sizing or scaling a search head cluster?
- A . Estimate the maximum daily ingest volume in gigabytes and divide by the number of CPU cores per search head.
- B . Estimate the total number of searches per day and divide by the number of CPU cores available on the search heads.
- C . Divide the number of indexers by three to achieve the correct number of search heads.
- D . Estimate the maximum concurrent number of searches and divide by the number of CPU cores per search head.
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
According to the Splunk blog1, the best method for sizing or scaling a search head cluster is to estimate the maximum concurrent number of searches and divide by the number of CPU cores per search head. This gives you an idea of how many search heads you need to handle the peak search load without overloading the CPU resources.
The other options are false because:
Estimating the maximum daily ingest volume in gigabytes and dividing by the number of CPU cores per search head is not a good method for sizing or scaling a search head cluster, as it does not account for the complexity and frequency of the searches. The ingest volume is more relevant for sizing or scaling the indexers, not the search heads2.
Estimating the total number of searches per day and dividing by the number of CPU cores available on the search heads is not a good method for sizing or scaling a search head cluster, as it does not account for the concurrency and duration of the searches. The total number of searches per day is an average metric that does not reflect the peak search load or the search performance2.
Dividing the number of indexers by three to achieve the correct number of search heads is not a good method for sizing or scaling a search head cluster, as it does not account for the search load or the search head capacity. The number of indexers is not directly proportional to the number of search heads, as different types of data and searches may require different amounts of resources2.
D
Explanation:
According to the Splunk blog1, the best method for sizing or scaling a search head cluster is to estimate the maximum concurrent number of searches and divide by the number of CPU cores per search head. This gives you an idea of how many search heads you need to handle the peak search load without overloading the CPU resources.
The other options are false because:
Estimating the maximum daily ingest volume in gigabytes and dividing by the number of CPU cores per search head is not a good method for sizing or scaling a search head cluster, as it does not account for the complexity and frequency of the searches. The ingest volume is more relevant for sizing or scaling the indexers, not the search heads2.
Estimating the total number of searches per day and dividing by the number of CPU cores available on the search heads is not a good method for sizing or scaling a search head cluster, as it does not account for the concurrency and duration of the searches. The total number of searches per day is an average metric that does not reflect the peak search load or the search performance2.
Dividing the number of indexers by three to achieve the correct number of search heads is not a good method for sizing or scaling a search head cluster, as it does not account for the search load or the search head capacity. The number of indexers is not directly proportional to the number of search heads, as different types of data and searches may require different amounts of resources2.
Question #112
A search head cluster with a KV store collection can be updated from where in the KV store collection?
- A . The search head cluster captain.
- B . The KV store primary search head.
- C . Any search head except the captain.
- D . Any search head in the cluster.
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
According to the Splunk documentation1, any search head in the cluster can update the KV store collection. The KV store collection is replicated across all the cluster members, and any write operation is delegated to the KV store captain, who then synchronizes the changes with the other members. The KV store primary search head is not a valid term, as there is no such role in a search head cluster. The other options are false because:
The search head cluster captain is not the only node that can update the KV store collection, as any member can initiate a write operation1.
Any search head except the captain can also update the KV store collection, as the write operation will be delegated to the captain1.
D
Explanation:
According to the Splunk documentation1, any search head in the cluster can update the KV store collection. The KV store collection is replicated across all the cluster members, and any write operation is delegated to the KV store captain, who then synchronizes the changes with the other members. The KV store primary search head is not a valid term, as there is no such role in a search head cluster. The other options are false because:
The search head cluster captain is not the only node that can update the KV store collection, as any member can initiate a write operation1.
Any search head except the captain can also update the KV store collection, as the write operation will be delegated to the captain1.
Question #113
When converting from a single-site to a multi-site cluster, what happens to existing single-site clustered buckets?
- A . They will continue to replicate within the origin site and age out based on existing policies.
- B . They will maintain replication as required according to the single-site policies, but never age out.
- C . They will be replicated across all peers in the multi-site cluster and age out based on existing policies.
- D . They will stop replicating within the single-site and remain on the indexer they reside on and age
out according to existing policies.
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
When converting from a single-site to a multi-site cluster, existing single-site clustered buckets will maintain replication as required according to the single-site policies, but never age out. Single-site clustered buckets are buckets that were created before the conversion to a multi-site cluster. These buckets will continue to follow the single-site replication and search factors, meaning that they will have the same number of copies and searchable copies across the cluster, regardless of the site.
These buckets will never age out, meaning that they will never be frozen or deleted, unless they are manually converted to multi-site buckets. Single-site clustered buckets will not continue to replicate within the origin site, because they will be distributed across the cluster according to the single-site policies. Single-site clustered buckets will not be replicated across all peers in the multi-site cluster, because they will follow the single-site replication factor, which may be lower than the multi-site total replication factor. Single-site clustered buckets will not stop replicating within the single-site and remain on the indexer they reside on, because they will still be subject to the replication and availability rules of the cluster
D
Explanation:
When converting from a single-site to a multi-site cluster, existing single-site clustered buckets will maintain replication as required according to the single-site policies, but never age out. Single-site clustered buckets are buckets that were created before the conversion to a multi-site cluster. These buckets will continue to follow the single-site replication and search factors, meaning that they will have the same number of copies and searchable copies across the cluster, regardless of the site.
These buckets will never age out, meaning that they will never be frozen or deleted, unless they are manually converted to multi-site buckets. Single-site clustered buckets will not continue to replicate within the origin site, because they will be distributed across the cluster according to the single-site policies. Single-site clustered buckets will not be replicated across all peers in the multi-site cluster, because they will follow the single-site replication factor, which may be lower than the multi-site total replication factor. Single-site clustered buckets will not stop replicating within the single-site and remain on the indexer they reside on, because they will still be subject to the replication and availability rules of the cluster
Question #114
A customer has a four site indexer cluster. The customer has requirements to store five copies of searchable data, with one searchable copy of data at the origin site, and one searchable copy at the disaster recovery site (site4).
Which configuration meets these requirements?
- A . site_replication_factor = origin:2, site4:l, total:3
- B . site_replication_factor = origin:l, site4:l, total:5
- C . site_search_factor = origin:2, site4:l, total:3
- D . site search factor = origin:1, site4:l, total:5
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
The correct configuration to meet the customer’s requirements is site_replication_factor = origin:1, site4:1, total:5. This means that each bucket will have one copy at the origin site, one copy at the disaster recovery site (site4), and three copies at any other sites. The total number of copies will be five, as required by the customer. The site_replication_factor determines how many copies of each bucket are stored across the sites in a multisite indexer cluster1. The site_search_factor determines how many copies of each bucket are searchable across the sites in a multisite indexer cluster2. Therefore, option B is the correct answer, and options A, C, and D are incorrect.
1: Configure the site replication factor 2: Configure the site search factor
B
Explanation:
The correct configuration to meet the customer’s requirements is site_replication_factor = origin:1, site4:1, total:5. This means that each bucket will have one copy at the origin site, one copy at the disaster recovery site (site4), and three copies at any other sites. The total number of copies will be five, as required by the customer. The site_replication_factor determines how many copies of each bucket are stored across the sites in a multisite indexer cluster1. The site_search_factor determines how many copies of each bucket are searchable across the sites in a multisite indexer cluster2. Therefore, option B is the correct answer, and options A, C, and D are incorrect.
1: Configure the site replication factor 2: Configure the site search factor
Question #115
Users who receive a link to a search are receiving an "Unknown sid" error message when they open the link.
Why is this happening?
- A . The users have insufficient permissions.
- B . An add-on needs to be updated.
- C . The search job has expired.
- D . One or more indexers are down.
Correct Answer: C
C
Explanation:
According to the Splunk documentation1, the “Unknown sid” error message means that the search job associated with the link has expired or been deleted. The sid (search ID) is a unique identifier for each search job, and it is used to retrieve the results of the search. If the sid is not found, the search cannot be displayed.
The other options are false because:
The users having insufficient permissions would result in a different error message, such as “You do not have permission to view this page” or "You do not have permission to run this search"1.
An add-on needing to be updated would not affect the validity of the sid, unless the add-on changes the search syntax or the data source in a way that makes the search invalid or inaccessible1.
One or more indexers being down would not cause the “Unknown sid” error, as the sid is stored on the search head, not the indexers. However, it could cause other errors, such as “Unable to distribute to peer” or "Search peer has the following message: not enough disk space"1.
C
Explanation:
According to the Splunk documentation1, the “Unknown sid” error message means that the search job associated with the link has expired or been deleted. The sid (search ID) is a unique identifier for each search job, and it is used to retrieve the results of the search. If the sid is not found, the search cannot be displayed.
The other options are false because:
The users having insufficient permissions would result in a different error message, such as “You do not have permission to view this page” or "You do not have permission to run this search"1.
An add-on needing to be updated would not affect the validity of the sid, unless the add-on changes the search syntax or the data source in a way that makes the search invalid or inaccessible1.
One or more indexers being down would not cause the “Unknown sid” error, as the sid is stored on the search head, not the indexers. However, it could cause other errors, such as “Unable to distribute to peer” or "Search peer has the following message: not enough disk space"1.
Question #116
What log file would you search to verify if you suspect there is a problem interpreting a regular expression in a monitor stanza?
- A . btool.log
- B . metrics.log
- C . splunkd.log
- D . tailing_processor.log
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
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.
D
Explanation:
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.
Question #117
A Splunk user successfully extracted an ip address into a field called src_ip. Their colleague cannot
see that field in their search results with events known to have src_ip.
Which of the following may explain the problem? (Select all that apply.)
- A . The field was extracted as a private knowledge object.
- B . The events are tagged as communicate, but are missing the network tag.
- C . The Typing Queue, which does regular expression replacements, is blocked.
- D . The colleague did not explicitly use the field in the search and the search was set to Fast Mode.
Correct Answer: A, D
A, D
Explanation:
The following may explain the problem of why a colleague cannot see the src_ip field in their search results: The field was extracted as a private knowledge object, and the colleague did not explicitly use the field in the search and the search was set to Fast Mode. A knowledge object is a Splunk entity that applies some knowledge or intelligence to the data, such as a field extraction, a lookup, or a macro. A knowledge object can have different permissions, such as private, app, or global. A private knowledge object is only visible to the user who created it, and it cannot be shared with other users. A field extraction is a type of knowledge object that extracts fields from the raw data at index time or search time. If a field extraction is created as a private knowledge object, then only the user who created it can see the extracted field in their search results. A search mode is a setting that determines how Splunk processes and displays the search results, such as Fast, Smart, or Verbose. Fast mode is the fastest and most efficient search mode, but it also limits the number of fields and events that are displayed. Fast mode only shows the default fields, such as _time, host, source, sourcetype, and _raw, and any fields that are explicitly used in the search. If a field is not used in the search and it is not a default field, then it will not be shown in Fast mode. The events are tagged as communicate, but are missing the network tag, and the Typing Queue, which does regular expression replacements, is blocked, are not valid explanations for the problem. Tags are labels that can be applied to fields or field values to make them easier to search. Tags do not affect the visibility of fields, unless they are used as filters in the search. The Typing Queue is a component of the Splunk data pipeline that performs regular expression replacements on the data, such as replacing IP addresses with host names. The Typing Queue does not affect the field extraction process, unless it is configured to do so
A, D
Explanation:
The following may explain the problem of why a colleague cannot see the src_ip field in their search results: The field was extracted as a private knowledge object, and the colleague did not explicitly use the field in the search and the search was set to Fast Mode. A knowledge object is a Splunk entity that applies some knowledge or intelligence to the data, such as a field extraction, a lookup, or a macro. A knowledge object can have different permissions, such as private, app, or global. A private knowledge object is only visible to the user who created it, and it cannot be shared with other users. A field extraction is a type of knowledge object that extracts fields from the raw data at index time or search time. If a field extraction is created as a private knowledge object, then only the user who created it can see the extracted field in their search results. A search mode is a setting that determines how Splunk processes and displays the search results, such as Fast, Smart, or Verbose. Fast mode is the fastest and most efficient search mode, but it also limits the number of fields and events that are displayed. Fast mode only shows the default fields, such as _time, host, source, sourcetype, and _raw, and any fields that are explicitly used in the search. If a field is not used in the search and it is not a default field, then it will not be shown in Fast mode. The events are tagged as communicate, but are missing the network tag, and the Typing Queue, which does regular expression replacements, is blocked, are not valid explanations for the problem. Tags are labels that can be applied to fields or field values to make them easier to search. Tags do not affect the visibility of fields, unless they are used as filters in the search. The Typing Queue is a component of the Splunk data pipeline that performs regular expression replacements on the data, such as replacing IP addresses with host names. The Typing Queue does not affect the field extraction process, unless it is configured to do so
Question #118
Which of the following should be done when installing Enterprise Security on a Search Head Cluster? (Select all that apply.)
- A . Install Enterprise Security on the deployer.
- B . Install Enterprise Security on a staging instance.
- C . Copy the Enterprise Security configurations to the deployer.
- D . Use the deployer to deploy Enterprise Security to the cluster members.
Correct Answer: A, D
A, D
Explanation:
When installing Enterprise Security on a Search Head Cluster (SHC), the following steps should be done: Install Enterprise Security on the deployer, and use the deployer to deploy Enterprise Security to the cluster members. Enterprise Security is a premium app that provides security analytics and monitoring capabilities for Splunk. Enterprise Security can be installed on a SHC by using the deployer, which is a standalone instance that distributes apps and other configurations to the SHC members. Enterprise Security should be installed on the deployer first, and then deployed to the cluster members using the splunk apply shcluster-bundle command. Enterprise Security should not be installed on a staging instance, because a staging instance is not part of the SHC deployment process. Enterprise Security configurations should not be copied to the deployer, because they are already included in the Enterprise Security app package.
A, D
Explanation:
When installing Enterprise Security on a Search Head Cluster (SHC), the following steps should be done: Install Enterprise Security on the deployer, and use the deployer to deploy Enterprise Security to the cluster members. Enterprise Security is a premium app that provides security analytics and monitoring capabilities for Splunk. Enterprise Security can be installed on a SHC by using the deployer, which is a standalone instance that distributes apps and other configurations to the SHC members. Enterprise Security should be installed on the deployer first, and then deployed to the cluster members using the splunk apply shcluster-bundle command. Enterprise Security should not be installed on a staging instance, because a staging instance is not part of the SHC deployment process. Enterprise Security configurations should not be copied to the deployer, because they are already included in the Enterprise Security app package.
Question #119
Which of the following is a good practice for a search head cluster deployer?
- A . The deployer only distributes configurations to search head cluster members when they “phone home”.
- B . The deployer must be used to distribute non-replicable configurations to search head cluster members.
- C . The deployer must distribute configurations to search head cluster members to be valid configurations.
- D . The deployer only distributes configurations to search head cluster members with splunk apply shcluster-bundle.
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
The following is a good practice for a search head cluster deployer: The deployer must be used to distribute non-replicable configurations to search head cluster members. Non-replicable configurations are the configurations that are not replicated by the search factor, such as the apps and the server.conf settings. The deployer is the Splunk server role that distributes these configurations to the search head cluster members, ensuring that they have the same configuration. The deployer does not only distribute configurations to search head cluster members when they “phone home”, as this would cause configuration inconsistencies and delays. The deployer does not distribute configurations to search head cluster members to be valid configurations, as this implies that the configurations are invalid without the deployer. The deployer does not only distribute configurations to search head cluster members with splunk apply shcluster-bundle, as this would require manual intervention by the administrator. For more information, see Use the deployer to distribute apps and configuration updates in the Splunk documentation.
B
Explanation:
The following is a good practice for a search head cluster deployer: The deployer must be used to distribute non-replicable configurations to search head cluster members. Non-replicable configurations are the configurations that are not replicated by the search factor, such as the apps and the server.conf settings. The deployer is the Splunk server role that distributes these configurations to the search head cluster members, ensuring that they have the same configuration. The deployer does not only distribute configurations to search head cluster members when they “phone home”, as this would cause configuration inconsistencies and delays. The deployer does not distribute configurations to search head cluster members to be valid configurations, as this implies that the configurations are invalid without the deployer. The deployer does not only distribute configurations to search head cluster members with splunk apply shcluster-bundle, as this would require manual intervention by the administrator. For more information, see Use the deployer to distribute apps and configuration updates in the Splunk documentation.
Question #120
Which of the following is a valid use case that a search head cluster addresses?
- A . Provide redundancy in the event a search peer fails.
- B . Search affinity.
- C . Knowledge Object replication.
- D . Increased Search Factor (SF).
Correct Answer: C
C
Explanation:
The correct answer is
C. Knowledge Object replication. This is a valid use case that a search head cluster addresses, as it ensures that all the search heads in the cluster have the same set of knowledge objects, such as saved searches, dashboards, reports, and alerts1. The search head cluster replicates the knowledge objects across the cluster members, and synchronizes any changes or updates1. This provides a consistent user experience and avoids data inconsistency or duplication1. The other options are not valid use cases that a search head cluster addresses.
Option A, providing redundancy in the event a search peer fails, is not a use case for a search head cluster, but for an indexer cluster, which maintains multiple copies of the indexed data and can recover from indexer failures2.
Option B, search affinity, is not a use case for a search head cluster, but for a multisite indexer cluster, which allows the search heads to preferentially search the data on the local site, rather than on a remote site3.
Option D, increased Search Factor (SF), is not a use case for a search head cluster, but for an indexer cluster, which determines how many searchable copies of each bucket are maintained across the indexers4. Therefore, option C is the correct answer, and options A, B, and D are incorrect.
1: About search head clusters 2: About indexer clusters and index replication 3: Configure search affinity 4: Configure the search factor
C
Explanation:
The correct answer is
C. Knowledge Object replication. This is a valid use case that a search head cluster addresses, as it ensures that all the search heads in the cluster have the same set of knowledge objects, such as saved searches, dashboards, reports, and alerts1. The search head cluster replicates the knowledge objects across the cluster members, and synchronizes any changes or updates1. This provides a consistent user experience and avoids data inconsistency or duplication1. The other options are not valid use cases that a search head cluster addresses.
Option A, providing redundancy in the event a search peer fails, is not a use case for a search head cluster, but for an indexer cluster, which maintains multiple copies of the indexed data and can recover from indexer failures2.
Option B, search affinity, is not a use case for a search head cluster, but for a multisite indexer cluster, which allows the search heads to preferentially search the data on the local site, rather than on a remote site3.
Option D, increased Search Factor (SF), is not a use case for a search head cluster, but for an indexer cluster, which determines how many searchable copies of each bucket are maintained across the indexers4. Therefore, option C is the correct answer, and options A, B, and D are incorrect.
1: About search head clusters 2: About indexer clusters and index replication 3: Configure search affinity 4: Configure the search factor