Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin Practice Test

Which of the following is an example of data that can be collected using Scripted Inputs?

1. Log files from servers

2. APIs and message queues

3. User activity logs

4. Structured database tables

The correct answer is: APIs and message queues

Scripted Inputs are designed to allow Splunk to collect data from various dynamic sources that might not be easily captured using standard data inputs. This capability is especially valuable for data that is not in static file formats or for sources that require custom logic to obtain the data. APIs and message queues represent sources that often require specific scripts or programs to extract the data, which is where Scripted Inputs come into play. These inputs let users write scripts in languages like Python or Bash to fetch data from web services or other programmatic interfaces on demand. By automating the data collection from these sources, it allows for real-time or near-real-time insights into metrics or logs that may not be available through more traditional means. Log files from servers, user activity logs, and structured database tables are more commonly handled by Splunk's built-in data inputs or connectors tailored for those types of data. While they can be collected by Splunk, they do not typically require the custom scripting approach that Scripted Inputs are designed for.