Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin Practice Test

Which index contains checkpoint information for file monitoring inputs?

1. _internal

2. _thefishbucket

3. summary

4. main

The correct answer is: _thefishbucket

The index that contains checkpoint information for file monitoring inputs is the _thefishbucket index. This index specifically stores the information necessary for tracking the state of files being monitored by Splunk, particularly when it comes to ensuring that data is ingested efficiently and without duplication. When Splunk monitors files, it creates checkpoints for each file, allowing it to remember which parts of the files have already been indexed. This is crucial for avoiding reprocessing the same portions of files, especially when files are continuously updated. The other indexes serve different purposes. The _internal index is reserved for internal logs and metrics from the Splunk platform itself, while the summary index is used to store data that has been aggregated or summarized for reporting purposes. The main index is the default index where user data is typically stored, but it does not handle the specific checkpoint information related to file inputs like _thefishbucket does. Therefore, understanding the role of _thefishbucket helps clarify its importance in file monitoring scenarios within Splunk.