Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin Practice Test

Which configuration file is essential for instructing a Splunk instance to ingest data?

1. transforms.conf

2. inputs.conf

3. props.conf

4. outputs.conf

The correct answer is: inputs.conf

The configuration file that is essential for instructing a Splunk instance to ingest data is inputs.conf. This file plays a critical role in defining the sources of data that Splunk should monitor and index. Within inputs.conf, you can specify various data input types, such as files, directories, network inputs, and scripted data inputs. For instance, you can configure Splunk to monitor specific log files on the filesystem, listen for events from a TCP or UDP port, or even collect data from scripted commands. By outlining these configurations, inputs.conf directly informs Splunk of where to look for data and how to process it upon ingestion. In contrast, the other configuration files serve different purposes. Transforms.conf is primarily used for transforming data at index time or search time, such as extracting fields or altering data formats. Props.conf is responsible for defining the properties of the incoming data, including timestamp extraction and data formatting, but it doesn’t handle the actual data input configuration. Lastly, outputs.conf is focused on defining how data is sent from one Splunk instance to another or to external systems, rather than managing data ingestion. Thus, inputs.conf is the correct answer because it is specifically designed to tell Splunk where and how to collect data, making it