Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin Practice Test

Which configuration would you expect to find in outputs.conf?

1. Indexing parameters

2. Data input sources

3. Forwarding configuration

4. Data retention policies

The correct answer is: Forwarding configuration

The presence of forwarding configuration in outputs.conf is essential because this file is specifically designed to handle settings related to forwarding data to other Splunk instances. When configuring a Splunk environment, particularly in a distributed setup where data needs to be sent from one Splunk instance (such as a forwarder) to another (like an indexer), the outputs.conf file determines how, where, and to whom this data is forwarded. This includes settings such as the destination IP addresses or hostnames of indexers and any necessary load balancing adjustments. In contrast, the other configurations mentioned are governed by different configuration files. Indexing parameters are typically found in indexes.conf, which manages how data is indexed and stored. Data input sources refer to inputs.conf, where you define the types of data to be ingested into Splunk. Data retention policies are defined in indexes.conf as well, determining how long indexed data should be retained before it is deleted or archived. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for managing a Splunk deployment efficiently, ensuring data flows correctly, and maintaining overall system performance.