Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin Practice Test

Do all Splunk Enterprise instances require licenses even if they are not ingesting data?

1. Yes, all server roles require licenses

2. No, only forwarders require licenses

3. Yes, but only when data is being searched

4. No, only indexing servers need licenses

The correct answer is: Yes, all server roles require licenses

Every Splunk Enterprise instance, irrespective of its function, is required to have a valid license. This includes instances that are acting as indexers, search heads, and even forwarders, regardless of whether they are currently ingesting data or not. Licensing in Splunk is designed to ensure that all components of the Splunk deployment adhere to legal and operational governance, allowing organizations to manage their environments consistently and effectively. The requirement for licenses maintains the integrity of the Splunk ecosystem, ensuring that all server roles are recognized and properly accounted for in enterprise deployments. This means that even if a forwarder is not actively sending data or a search head is merely executing queries without ingesting new data, the licenses must still be in place. This comprehensive licensing model is critical for keeping track of data usage, including the volumes that can be indexed across the entire platform, thus supporting overall compliance and performance management.