Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin Practice Test

What does the inputs.conf file define for the indexer?

1. What data to collect

2. How to transform events

3. How to display search results

4. Which users can access data

The correct answer is: What data to collect

The inputs.conf file is a crucial configuration file within Splunk that specifically defines what data to collect for indexing. It is primarily utilized by the universal forwarder or the Splunk instance that is responsible for data ingestion. Through the settings in this file, you can specify various sources of data, such as log files, network streams, and other inputs that you want Splunk to monitor and index. Inclusion of the relevant paths, file types, and data types is central to providing Splunk with the necessary instructions on where to look for data and how to handle it upon collection. This ensures that all relevant and important data flows into Splunk for analysis and visualization, making it a fundamental part of the data ingestion process. Other options relate to different functionalities within Splunk – transforming events typically takes place in props.conf, displaying search results is managed by the UI and search head settings, and user access control is generally handled in authentication and authorization settings rather than in inputs.conf. Hence, the focus of the inputs.conf file is solely on the specification of data collection parameters.