Splunk SPLK-2002 Practice Exams
Last updated on Oct 08,2026- Exam Code: SPLK-2002
- Exam Name: Splunk Enterprise Certified Architect Exam
- Certification Provider: Splunk
- Latest update: Oct 08,2026
Question #141
Splunk Enterprise performs a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) against the first and last bytes to prevent the same file from being re-indexed if it is rotated or renamed.
What is the number of bytes sampled by default?
- A . 128
- B . 512
- C . 256
- D . 64
Correct Answer: C
C
Explanation:
Splunk Enterprise performs a CRC check against the first and last 256 bytes of a file by default, as stated in the inputs.conf specification. This is controlled by the initCrcLength parameter, which can be changed if needed. The CRC check helps Splunk Enterprise to avoid re-indexing the same file twice, even if it is renamed or rotated, as long as the content does not change. However, this also means that Splunk Enterprise might miss some files that have the same CRC but different content, especially if they have identical headers. To avoid this, the crcSalt parameter can be used to add some extra information to the CRC calculation, such as the full file path or a custom string. This ensures that each file has a unique CRC and is indexed by Splunk Enterprise. You can read more about crcSalt and initCrcLength in the How log file rotation is handled documentation.
C
Explanation:
Splunk Enterprise performs a CRC check against the first and last 256 bytes of a file by default, as stated in the inputs.conf specification. This is controlled by the initCrcLength parameter, which can be changed if needed. The CRC check helps Splunk Enterprise to avoid re-indexing the same file twice, even if it is renamed or rotated, as long as the content does not change. However, this also means that Splunk Enterprise might miss some files that have the same CRC but different content, especially if they have identical headers. To avoid this, the crcSalt parameter can be used to add some extra information to the CRC calculation, such as the full file path or a custom string. This ensures that each file has a unique CRC and is indexed by Splunk Enterprise. You can read more about crcSalt and initCrcLength in the How log file rotation is handled documentation.
Question #142
A new Splunk customer is using syslog to collect data from their network devices on port 514.
What is the best practice for ingesting this data into Splunk?
- A . Configure syslog to send the data to multiple Splunk indexers.
- B . Use a Splunk indexer to collect a network input on port 514 directly.
- C . Use a Splunk forwarder to collect the input on port 514 and forward the data.
- D . Configure syslog to write logs and use a Splunk forwarder to collect the logs.
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
The best practice for ingesting syslog data from network devices on port 514 into Splunk is to configure syslog to write logs and use a Splunk forwarder to collect the logs. This practice will ensure that the data is reliably collected and forwarded to Splunk, without losing any data or overloading the Splunk indexer. Configuring syslog to send the data to multiple Splunk indexers will not guarantee data reliability, as syslog is a UDP protocol that does not provide acknowledgment or delivery confirmation. Using a Splunk indexer to collect a network input on port 514 directly will not provide data reliability or load balancing, as the indexer may not be able to handle the incoming data volume or distribute it to other indexers. Using a Splunk forwarder to collect the input on port 514 and forward the data will not provide data reliability, as the forwarder may not be able to receive the data from syslog or buffer it in case of network issues. For more information, see [Get data from TCP and UDP ports] and [Best practices for syslog data] in the Splunk documentation.
D
Explanation:
The best practice for ingesting syslog data from network devices on port 514 into Splunk is to configure syslog to write logs and use a Splunk forwarder to collect the logs. This practice will ensure that the data is reliably collected and forwarded to Splunk, without losing any data or overloading the Splunk indexer. Configuring syslog to send the data to multiple Splunk indexers will not guarantee data reliability, as syslog is a UDP protocol that does not provide acknowledgment or delivery confirmation. Using a Splunk indexer to collect a network input on port 514 directly will not provide data reliability or load balancing, as the indexer may not be able to handle the incoming data volume or distribute it to other indexers. Using a Splunk forwarder to collect the input on port 514 and forward the data will not provide data reliability, as the forwarder may not be able to receive the data from syslog or buffer it in case of network issues. For more information, see [Get data from TCP and UDP ports] and [Best practices for syslog data] in the Splunk documentation.
Question #143
If there is a deployment server with many clients and one deployment client is not updating apps, which of the following should be done first?
- A . Choose a longer phone home interval for all of the deployment clients.
- B . Increase the number of CPU cores for the deployment server.
- C . Choose a corrective action based on the splunkd. log of the deployment client.
- D . Increase the amount of memory for the deployment server.
Correct Answer: C
C
Explanation:
The correct action to take first if a deployment client is not updating apps is to choose a corrective action based on the splunkd.log of the deployment client. This log file contains information about the communication between the deployment server and the deployment client, and it can help identify the root cause of the problem1. The other actions may or may not help, depending on the situation, but they are not the first steps to take. Choosing a longer phone home interval may reduce the load on the deployment server, but it will also delay the updates for the deployment clients2. Increasing the number of CPU cores or the amount of memory for the deployment server may improve its performance, but it will not fix the issue if the problem is on the deployment client side3. Therefore, option C is the correct answer, and options A, B, and D are incorrect.
1: Troubleshoot deployment server issues 2: Configure deployment clients 3: Hardware and software requirements for the deployment server
C
Explanation:
The correct action to take first if a deployment client is not updating apps is to choose a corrective action based on the splunkd.log of the deployment client. This log file contains information about the communication between the deployment server and the deployment client, and it can help identify the root cause of the problem1. The other actions may or may not help, depending on the situation, but they are not the first steps to take. Choosing a longer phone home interval may reduce the load on the deployment server, but it will also delay the updates for the deployment clients2. Increasing the number of CPU cores or the amount of memory for the deployment server may improve its performance, but it will not fix the issue if the problem is on the deployment client side3. Therefore, option C is the correct answer, and options A, B, and D are incorrect.
1: Troubleshoot deployment server issues 2: Configure deployment clients 3: Hardware and software requirements for the deployment server
Question #144
In a distributed environment, knowledge object bundles are replicated from the search head to which location on the search peer(s)?
- A . SPLUNK_HOME/var/lib/searchpeers
- B . SPLUNK_HOME/var/log/searchpeers
- C . SPLUNK_HOME/var/run/searchpeers
- D . SPLUNK_HOME/var/spool/searchpeers
Correct Answer: C
C
Explanation:
In a distributed environment, knowledge object bundles are replicated from the search head to the SPLUNK_HOME/var/run/searchpeers directory on the search peer(s). A knowledge object bundle is a compressed file that contains the knowledge objects, such as fields, lookups, macros, and tags, that are required for a search. A search peer is a Splunk instance that provides data to a search head in a distributed search. A search head is a Splunk instance that coordinates and executes a search across multiple search peers. When a search head initiates a search, it creates a knowledge object bundle and replicates it to the search peers that are involved in the search. The search peers store the knowledge object bundle in the SPLUNK_HOME/var/run/searchpeers directory, which is a temporary directory that is cleared when the Splunk service restarts. The search peers use the knowledge object bundle to apply the knowledge objects to the data and return the results to the search head. The SPLUNK_HOME/var/lib/searchpeers, SPLUNK_HOME/var/log/searchpeers, and SPLUNK_HOME/var/spool/searchpeers directories are not the locations where the knowledge object bundles are replicated, because they do not exist in the Splunk file system
C
Explanation:
In a distributed environment, knowledge object bundles are replicated from the search head to the SPLUNK_HOME/var/run/searchpeers directory on the search peer(s). A knowledge object bundle is a compressed file that contains the knowledge objects, such as fields, lookups, macros, and tags, that are required for a search. A search peer is a Splunk instance that provides data to a search head in a distributed search. A search head is a Splunk instance that coordinates and executes a search across multiple search peers. When a search head initiates a search, it creates a knowledge object bundle and replicates it to the search peers that are involved in the search. The search peers store the knowledge object bundle in the SPLUNK_HOME/var/run/searchpeers directory, which is a temporary directory that is cleared when the Splunk service restarts. The search peers use the knowledge object bundle to apply the knowledge objects to the data and return the results to the search head. The SPLUNK_HOME/var/lib/searchpeers, SPLUNK_HOME/var/log/searchpeers, and SPLUNK_HOME/var/spool/searchpeers directories are not the locations where the knowledge object bundles are replicated, because they do not exist in the Splunk file system
Question #145
Which component in the splunkd.log will log information related to bad event breaking?
- A . Audittrail
- B . EventBreaking
- C . IndexingPipeline
- D . AggregatorMiningProcessor
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
The AggregatorMiningProcessor component in the splunkd.log file will log information related to bad event breaking. The AggregatorMiningProcessor is responsible for breaking the incoming data into events and applying the props.conf settings. If there is a problem with the event breaking, such as incorrect timestamps, missing events, or merged events, the AggregatorMiningProcessor will log the error or warning messages in the splunkd.log file. The Audittrail component logs information about the audit events, such as user actions, configuration changes, and search activity. The EventBreaking component logs information about the event breaking rules, such as the LINE_BREAKER and SHOULD_LINEMERGE settings. The IndexingPipeline component logs information
about the indexing pipeline, such as the parsing, routing, and indexing phases. For more information,
see About Splunk Enterprise logging and [Configure event line breaking] in the Splunk
documentation.
D
Explanation:
The AggregatorMiningProcessor component in the splunkd.log file will log information related to bad event breaking. The AggregatorMiningProcessor is responsible for breaking the incoming data into events and applying the props.conf settings. If there is a problem with the event breaking, such as incorrect timestamps, missing events, or merged events, the AggregatorMiningProcessor will log the error or warning messages in the splunkd.log file. The Audittrail component logs information about the audit events, such as user actions, configuration changes, and search activity. The EventBreaking component logs information about the event breaking rules, such as the LINE_BREAKER and SHOULD_LINEMERGE settings. The IndexingPipeline component logs information
about the indexing pipeline, such as the parsing, routing, and indexing phases. For more information,
see About Splunk Enterprise logging and [Configure event line breaking] in the Splunk
documentation.
Question #146
When implementing KV Store Collections in a search head cluster, which of the following considerations is true?
- A . The KV Store Primary coordinates with the search head cluster captain when collection content changes.
- B . The search head cluster captain is also the KV Store Primary when collection content changes.
- C . The KV Store Collection will not allow for changes to content if there are more than 50 search heads in the cluster.
- D . Each search head in the cluster independently updates its KV store collection when collection content changes.
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
According to the Splunk documentation1, in a search head cluster, the KV Store Primary is the same node as the search head cluster captain. The KV Store Primary is responsible for coordinating the replication of KV Store data across the cluster members. When any node receives a write request, the KV Store delegates the write to the KV Store Primary. The KV Store keeps the reads local, however. This ensures that the KV Store data is consistent and available across the cluster.
Reference: About the app key value store
KV Store and search head clusters
B
Explanation:
According to the Splunk documentation1, in a search head cluster, the KV Store Primary is the same node as the search head cluster captain. The KV Store Primary is responsible for coordinating the replication of KV Store data across the cluster members. When any node receives a write request, the KV Store delegates the write to the KV Store Primary. The KV Store keeps the reads local, however. This ensures that the KV Store data is consistent and available across the cluster.
Reference: About the app key value store
KV Store and search head clusters
Question #147
Which of the following is a way to exclude search artifacts when creating a diag?
- A . SPLUNK_HOME/bin/splunk diag –exclude
- B . SPLUNK_HOME/bin/splunk diag –debug –refresh
- C . SPLUNK_HOME/bin/splunk diag –disable=dispatch
- D . SPLUNK_HOME/bin/splunk diag –filter-searchstrings
Correct Answer: A
A
Explanation:
The splunk diag –exclude command is a way to exclude search artifacts when creating a diag. A diag is a diagnostic snapshot of a Splunk instance that contains various logs, configurations, and other information. Search artifacts are temporary files that are generated by search jobs and stored in the dispatch directory. Search artifacts can be excluded from the diag by using the –exclude option and specifying the dispatch directory. The splunk diag –debug –refresh command is a way to create a diag with debug logging enabled and refresh the diag if it already exists. The splunk diag — disable=dispatch command is not a valid command, because the –disable option does not exist. The splunk diag –filter-searchstrings command is a way to filter out sensitive information from the search strings in the diag
A
Explanation:
The splunk diag –exclude command is a way to exclude search artifacts when creating a diag. A diag is a diagnostic snapshot of a Splunk instance that contains various logs, configurations, and other information. Search artifacts are temporary files that are generated by search jobs and stored in the dispatch directory. Search artifacts can be excluded from the diag by using the –exclude option and specifying the dispatch directory. The splunk diag –debug –refresh command is a way to create a diag with debug logging enabled and refresh the diag if it already exists. The splunk diag — disable=dispatch command is not a valid command, because the –disable option does not exist. The splunk diag –filter-searchstrings command is a way to filter out sensitive information from the search strings in the diag
Question #148
As a best practice, where should the internal licensing logs be stored?
- A . Indexing layer.
- B . License server.
- C . Deployment layer.
- D . Search head layer.
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
As a best practice, the internal licensing logs should be stored on the license server. The license server is a Splunk instance that manages the distribution and enforcement of licenses in a Splunk deployment. The license server generates internal licensing logs that contain information about the license usage, violations, warnings, and pools. The internal licensing logs should be stored on the license server itself, because they are relevant to the license server’s role and function. Storing the internal licensing logs on the license server also simplifies the license monitoring and troubleshooting process. The internal licensing logs should not be stored on the indexing layer, the deployment layer, or the search head layer, because they are not related to the roles and functions of these layers. Storing the internal licensing logs on these layers would also increase the network traffic and disk space consumption
B
Explanation:
As a best practice, the internal licensing logs should be stored on the license server. The license server is a Splunk instance that manages the distribution and enforcement of licenses in a Splunk deployment. The license server generates internal licensing logs that contain information about the license usage, violations, warnings, and pools. The internal licensing logs should be stored on the license server itself, because they are relevant to the license server’s role and function. Storing the internal licensing logs on the license server also simplifies the license monitoring and troubleshooting process. The internal licensing logs should not be stored on the indexing layer, the deployment layer, or the search head layer, because they are not related to the roles and functions of these layers. Storing the internal licensing logs on these layers would also increase the network traffic and disk space consumption
Question #149
Where in the Job Inspector can details be found to help determine where performance is affected?
- A . Search Job Properties > runDuration
- B . Search Job Properties > runtime
- C . Job Details Dashboard > Total Events Matched
- D . Execution Costs > Components
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
This is where in the Job Inspector details can be found to help determine where performance is affected, as it shows the time and resources spent by each component of the search, such as commands, subsearches, lookups, and post-processing1. The Execution Costs > Components section can help identify the most expensive or inefficient parts of the search, and suggest ways to optimize or improve the search performance1. The other options are not as useful as the Execution Costs > Components section for finding performance issues.
Option A, Search Job Properties > runDuration, shows the total time, in seconds, that the search took to run2. This can indicate the overall performance of the search, but it does not provide any details on the specific components or factors that affected the performance.
Option B, Search Job Properties > runtime, shows the time, in seconds, that the search took to run on the search head2. This can indicate the performance of the search head, but it does not account for the time spent on the indexers or the network.
Option C, Job Details Dashboard > Total Events Matched, shows the number of events that matched the search criteria3. This can indicate the size and scope of the search, but it does not provide any information on the performance or efficiency of the search. Therefore, option D is the correct answer, and options A, B, and C are incorrect.
1: Execution Costs > Components 2: Search Job Properties 3: Job Details Dashboard
D
Explanation:
This is where in the Job Inspector details can be found to help determine where performance is affected, as it shows the time and resources spent by each component of the search, such as commands, subsearches, lookups, and post-processing1. The Execution Costs > Components section can help identify the most expensive or inefficient parts of the search, and suggest ways to optimize or improve the search performance1. The other options are not as useful as the Execution Costs > Components section for finding performance issues.
Option A, Search Job Properties > runDuration, shows the total time, in seconds, that the search took to run2. This can indicate the overall performance of the search, but it does not provide any details on the specific components or factors that affected the performance.
Option B, Search Job Properties > runtime, shows the time, in seconds, that the search took to run on the search head2. This can indicate the performance of the search head, but it does not account for the time spent on the indexers or the network.
Option C, Job Details Dashboard > Total Events Matched, shows the number of events that matched the search criteria3. This can indicate the size and scope of the search, but it does not provide any information on the performance or efficiency of the search. Therefore, option D is the correct answer, and options A, B, and C are incorrect.
1: Execution Costs > Components 2: Search Job Properties 3: Job Details Dashboard
Question #150
When using the props.conf LINE_BREAKER attribute to delimit multi-line events, the SHOULD_LINEMERGE attribute should be set to what?
- A . Auto
- B . None
- C . True
- D . False
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
When using the props.conf LINE_BREAKER attribute to delimit multi-line events, the SHOULD_LINEMERGE attribute should be set to false. This tells Splunk not to merge events that have been broken by the LINE_BREAKER. Setting the SHOULD_LINEMERGE attribute to true, auto, or none will cause Splunk to ignore the LINE_BREAKER and merge events based on other criteria. For more information, see Configure event line breaking in the Splunk documentation.
D
Explanation:
When using the props.conf LINE_BREAKER attribute to delimit multi-line events, the SHOULD_LINEMERGE attribute should be set to false. This tells Splunk not to merge events that have been broken by the LINE_BREAKER. Setting the SHOULD_LINEMERGE attribute to true, auto, or none will cause Splunk to ignore the LINE_BREAKER and merge events based on other criteria. For more information, see Configure event line breaking in the Splunk documentation.