Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin Practice Test

What does outputs.conf do on the Universal Forwarder?

1. Defines the character encoding

2. Determines where to forward the data

3. Handles event breaks

4. Controls data collections

The correct answer is: Determines where to forward the data

The outputs.conf file on the Universal Forwarder is crucial for determining how and where data is sent from the Universal Forwarder to its configured Splunk instances, such as an indexer or a heavy forwarder. This configuration file allows administrators to specify parameters such as the destination server's IP address or hostname, the port number for data transmission, and various load balancing settings. By configuring outputs.conf, users can control the flow of data effectively, ensuring that the intended recipient receives the data streams from the Universal Forwarder. This functionality is essential for maintaining a robust and efficient data forwarding architecture in Splunk. In contrast, the other options pertain to different aspects of Splunk’s configuration. Character encoding is managed by a different configuration setting and is not a function of outputs.conf. Similarly, event breaks, which define how data is segmented into events, are not relevant to the forwarding process and are managed through props.conf. Lastly, data collection settings, which include defining inputs for gathering data, are handled by inputs.conf. Thus, the focus of outputs.conf on data forwarding is what makes the answer correct.