Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin Practice Test

Which file is primarily used for most configuration in the input phase on a forwarder?

1. props.conf

2. transforms.conf

3. inputs.conf

4. config.conf

The correct answer is: inputs.conf

The inputs.conf file is essential for configuring data inputs on a Splunk forwarder. It serves as the primary configuration file where you specify the types of data that the forwarder should collect, how to monitor them, and how to process them before sending them to an indexer. This can include settings for file and directory monitoring, network inputs, and scripted inputs, among others. Correctly setting up inputs.conf ensures that data is properly collected and forwarded to the correct destination, thus establishing the foundational groundwork for any data analysis performed later on in your Splunk environment. This configuration directly influences the efficiency and accuracy of data indexing and is crucial for ensuring that information is ingested correctly and in a timely manner.