Splunk SPLK-1002 Splunk Core Certified Power User Exam Exam Practice Test

https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/8.1.2/SearchReference/Chart

The eval command is a Splunk command that allows you to create or modify fields using expressions .

The if function is an expression that evaluates a condition and returns a value based on whether the condition is true or false. The syntax of the if function is if(X,Y,Z), where X is the condition, Y is the value to return if X is true, and Z is the value to return if X is false.

The isnotnull function is an expression that returns true if the argument is not null, and false otherwise. The syntax of the isnotnull function is isnotnull(X), where X is the argument to check.

Therefore, the expression if (isnotnull (src), src, host) returns the value of src if it is not null, and the value of host otherwise. This means that it will provide a new value for host from src if it exists, and keep the original value of host otherwise.

The eval command is used to create new fields or modify existing fields based on an expression2. The eval command can perform various actions such as calculations, conversions, string manipulations and more2. One of the actions that the eval command can perform is to create or replace an existing field with a new value based on an expression2. For example, | eval status=if(status="200","OK","ERROR") will create or replace the status field with either OK or ERROR depending on the original value of status2. Therefore, option B is correct, while options A, C and D are incorrect because they are not actions that the eval command can perform.

The correct answer is C. Events where values of field A are equal to values of field B.

The where command is used to filter the search results based on an expression that evaluates to true or false. The where command can compare two fields, two values, or a field and a value. The where command can also use functions, operators, and wildcards to create complex expressions1.

The syntax for the where command is:

| where

The expression can be a comparison, a calculation, a logical operation, or a combination of these. The expression must evaluate to true or false for each event.

To compare two fields with the where command, you need to use the field names without any quotation marks. For example, if you want to find events where the values for the field A match the values for the field B, you can use the following syntax:

| where A=B

This will return only the events where the two fields have the same value.

The other options are not correct because they use different syntax or fields that are not related to the where command. These options are:

A. Events that contain the string value where A=B: This option uses the string value where A=B as a search term, which is not valid syntax for the where command. This option will return events that have the literal text “where A=B” in them.

B. Events that contain the string value A=B: This option uses the string value A=B as a search term, which is not valid syntax for the where command. This option will return events that have the literal text “A=B” in them.

D. Events where field A contains the string value B: This option uses quotation marks around the value B, which is not valid syntax for comparing fields with the where command. Quotation marks are used to enclose phrases or exact matches in a search2. This option will return events where the field A contains the string value “B”.

The correct answer is C. By enclosing the macro name in backtick characters (`).

A macro is a way to reuse a piece of SPL code in different searches. A macro can take arguments, which are variables that can be replaced by different values when the macro is called. A macro can also contain another macro within it, which is called a nested macro1.

To reference a macro in a search, you need to enclose the macro name in backtick characters (). For example, if you have a macro named my_macro` that takes one argument, you can reference it in a search by using the following syntax:

| my_macro(argument) | ...

This will replace the macro name and argument with the SPL code contained in the macro definition. For example, if the macro definition is:

[my_macro(argument)] search sourcetype=$argument$

And you reference it in a search with:

index=main | my_macro(web) | stats count by host

This will expand the macro and run the following SPL code:

index=main | search sourcetype=web | stats count by host

When using multiple expressions in a single eval command in Splunk, the delimiter used is a comma (,). This allows for the execution of multiple operations within a single eval statement, separating each operation clearly.

A delimiter field extraction is a method of extracting fields from data that uses a character or a string to separate fields in each event. A delimiter field extraction can be performed by using the Field Extractor (FX) tool or by editing the props.conf file. A delimiter field extraction can be applied to any file format that uses a delimiter to separate fields, such as CSV, TSV, PSV, etc. A CSV file is a comma-separated values file that uses commas as delimiters. Therefore, a CSV file can be extracted using a delimiter field extraction.

A calculated field in Splunk is designed to automatically add fields at search time using an eval expression. This feature allows users to define new fields based on existing data without needing to manually include an eval command in every search. Calculated fields simplify repeated search tasks by embedding the eval logic directly into the field configuration.

It provides users with a standardized set of field names and tags to normalize data.The Splunk CIM add-on provides a standardized set of field names and data models, which allows users to normalize and categorize data from various sources into a common format. This helps with data interoperability and enables faster, more consistent reporting and searching across different data sources.References:Splunk Documentation - Common Information Model (CIM)

The correct answer is C. Creates reports without using SPL. This is because the Pivot tool is a feature of Splunk that allows you to report on a specific data set without using the Splunk Search Processing Language (SPL). You can use a drag-and-drop interface to design and generate pivots that present different aspects of your data in the form of tables, charts, and other visualizations. You can learn more about the Pivot tool from the Splunk documentation1 or watch a video tutorial2. The other options are incorrect because they do not describe the features of the Pivot tool. The Pivot tool requires data models and datasets to define the data that you want to work with. Data models and datasets are designed by the knowledge managers in your organization. You can learn more about data models and datasets from the Splunk documentation3. The Pivot tool does not create lookups, which are tables that match field values to other field values. You can create lookups using SPL or the Lookup Editor. You can learn more about lookups from the Splunk documentation.

The correct command to show the total bytes for each unique combination of page and server is index=web | stats sum (bytes) BY page server. In Splunk, the stats command is used to calculate aggregate statistics over the dataset, such as count, sum, avg, etc. When using the BY clause, it groups the results by the specified fields. The correct syntax does not include commas or the word ‘AND’ between the field names. Instead, it simply lists the field names separated by spaces within the BY clause.

To retrieve data from an external resource based on a field like Zip_Code, a GET workflow action is appropriate. GET requests retrieve information by passing the Zip_Code as a parameter to an external URL, commonly used in weather APIs.

An existing accelerated data model can be edited, but the data model must be de-accelerated before any structural edits can be made (Option C). This is because the acceleration process involves pre-computing and storing data, and changes to the data model's structure could invalidate or conflict with the pre-computed data. Once the data model is de-accelerated and edits are completed, it can be re-accelerated to optimize performance.

Data model datasets have a hierarchical relationship with each other, meaning they have parent-child relationships. Data models can contain multiple dataset hierarchies. There are three types of dataset hierarchies: event, search, and transaction.

https://docs.splunk.com/Splexicon:Datamodeldataset

The regular expression mode of Field Extractor (FX) should be used for data with multiple, different characters separating fields or for unstructured data. The regular expression mode allows you to select a sample event and highlight the fields that you want to extract, and the field extractor generates a regular expression that matches similar events and extracts the fields from them.ReferencesSee Build field extractions with the field extractor - Splunk Documentation and Field Extractor: Select Method step - Splunk Documentation.

 The transaction and stats commands are two ways to group events from one or more data sources based on common fields or time ranges. The transaction command creates a single event out of a group of related events, while the stats command calculates summary statistics over a group of events. The eval and coalesce commands are used to create or combine fields, not to group events. The format command is used to format the results of a subsearch, not to group events. The top and rare commands are used to rank the most or least common values of a field, not to group events23

1: Splunk Core Certified Power User Track, page 9. 2: Splunk Documentation, transaction command. 3: Splunk Documentation, stats command.

Data model attributes are fields that are added to a dataset from search time field extractions, calculated fields, lookups, or aliases. They can be created within the data model editor or inherited from a parent dataset. They can be edited or removed unless they are required by the data model. They can be added to any type of dataset, not just root search datasets.ReferencesSee About data models, [Define data model attributes], and [Edit data model datasets] in the Splunk Documentation.

https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/8.0.2/SearchReference/Eval

The eval command calculates an expression and puts the resulting value into a search results field.

If the field name that you specify does not match a field in the output, a new field is added to the search results.

If the field name that you specify matches a field name that already exists in the search results, the results of the eval expression overwrite the values in that field.

The fields sidebar is a panel that shows the fields that are present in your search results2. The fields sidebar does not show all extracted fields, which are fields that are extracted from your raw data using various methods such as regular expressions, delimiters or key-value pairs2. The fields sidebar only shows selected fields and interesting fields2. Selected fields are fields that you choose to display in your search results by clicking on them in the fields sidebar or by using the fields command2. Interesting fields are fields that appear in at least 20 percent of events or have high variability among values2. Therefore, option C is correct, while options A and B are incorrect because they are types of fields that the fields sidebar does show.

The transaction command in Splunk groups events based on common fields and creates a single transaction event. The timestamp assigned to the transaction is the timestamp of the earliest event in the transaction. This ensures that the transaction reflects the actual start time of the related events rather than the time the transaction is created or ended.

Child datasets can be added to root datasets to narrow down the search. Datasets are collections of events that represent your data in a structured and hierarchical way. Datasets can be created by using commands such as datamodel or pivot. Datasets can have different types, such as events, search, transaction, etc. Datasets can also have different levels, such as root or child. Root datasets are base datasets that contain all events from a data model or an index. Child datasets are derived datasets that contain a subset of events from a parent dataset based on some constraints, such as search terms, fields, time range, etc. Child datasets can be added to root datasets to narrow down the search and filter out irrelevant events.

The correct answer is B. A field added by an automatic lookup.

A calculated field is a field that is added to events at search time by using an eval expression. A calculated field can use the values of two or more fields that are already present in the events to perform calculations. A calculated field can use any field as a source, as long as the field is extracted before the calculated field is defined1.

An automatic lookup is a way to enrich events with additional fields from an external source, such as a CSV file or a database. An automatic lookup can add fields to events based on the values of existing fields, such as host, source, sourcetype, or any other extracted field2. An automatic lookup is performed before the calculated fields are defined, so the fields added by the lookup can be used as sources for the calculated fields3.

Therefore, a calculated field can use a field added by an automatic lookup as a source.

The correct answer is B. Use the field values in an HTTP error event to create a new ticket in an external system.

A workflow action is a knowledge object that enables a variety of interactions between fields in events and other web resources. Workflow actions can create HTML links, generate HTTP POST requests, or launch secondary searches based on field values1.

There are three types of workflow actions that can be set up using Splunk Web: GET, POST, and Search2.

GET workflow actions create typical HTML links to do things like perform Google searches on specific values or run domain name queries against external WHOIS databases2.

POST workflow actions generate an HTTP POST request to a specified URI. This action type enables you to do things like creating entries in external issue management systems using a set of relevant field values2.

Search workflow actions launch secondary searches that use specific field values from an event, such as a search that looks for the occurrence of specific combinations of ipaddress and http_status field values in your index over a specific time range2.

Therefore, the example that would use a POST workflow action is B. Use the field values in an HTTP error event to create a new ticket in an external system. This example requires sending an HTTP POST request to the URI of the external system with the field values from the event as arguments.

The other examples would use different types of workflow actions. These examples are:

A. Perform an external IP lookup based on a domain value found in events: This example would use a GET workflow action to create a link to an external IP lookup service with the domain value as a parameter.

C. Launch secondary Splunk searches that use one or more field values from selected events: This example would use a Search workflow action to run another Splunk search with the field values from the event as search terms.

D. Open a web browser to look up an HTTP status code: This example would also use a GET workflow action to create a link to a web page that explains the meaning of the HTTP status code.

When using a field value variable with a Workflow Action, the exclamation mark (!) will escape the data. A Workflow Action is a custom action that performs a task when you click on a field value in your search results. A Workflow Action can be configured with various options, such as label name, base URL, URI parameters, post arguments, app context, etc. A field value variable is a placeholder for the field value that will be used to replace the variable in the URL or post argument of the Workflow Action. A field value variable is written as fieldn​ame, where field_name is the name of the field whose value will be used. However, if the field value contains special characters that need to be escaped, such as spaces, commas, etc., you can use the exclamation mark (!) before and after the field value variable to escape the data. For example, if you have a field value variable host, you can write it as !$host! to escape any special characters in the host field value.

Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

The search string below creates a table of the total count of mysterymeat corndogs split by user.

| stats count by user | where corndog=mysterymeat

The search string does the following:

It uses the stats command to calculate the count of events for each value of the user field. The stats command creates a table with two columns: user and count.

It uses the where command to filter the results by the value of the corndog field. The where command only keeps the rows where corndog equals mysterymeat.

Therefore, the search string creates a table of the total count of mysterymeat corndogs split by user.

In Splunk, Pivot is a tool that allows you to report on a specific data set without using the Splunk Search Processing Language (SPL™)1. You can use a drag-and-drop interface to design and generate pivots that present different aspects of your data in the form of tables, charts, and other visualizations12.

One of the features of Pivot is that it allows you to save your reports1. This can be useful when you want to reuse a report or share it with others1. Therefore, it’s not true that users cannot share visualizations created with Pivot or that they must use SPL to find events in a Pivot12. It’s also not true that users cannot create visualizations with Pivot, as creating visualizations is one of the main functions of Pivot12.

When defining a search macro, the required elements are the name and the definition of the macro. The name is a unique identifier for the macro that can be used to invoke it in other searches. The definition is the search string that the macro expands to when referenced. The arguments, validation expression, and validation error message are optional elements that can be used to customize the macro behavior and input validation2

1: Splunk Core Certified Power User Track, page 9. 2: Splunk Documentation, Define search macros in Settings.

The correct answer is D. An argument can be passed to the inner macro by nesting parentheses.

A search macro is a way to reuse a piece of SPL code in different searches. A search macro can take arguments, which are variables that can be replaced by different values when the macro is called. A search macro can also contain another search macro within it, which is called a nested macro. A nested macro can also take arguments, which can be passed from the outer macro or directly from the search string.

To pass an argument to the inner macro, you need to use parentheses to enclose the argument value and separate it from the outer macro argument. For example, if you have a search macro named outer_macro (1) that contains another search macro named inner_macro (2), and both macros take one argument each, you can pass an argument to the inner macro by using the following syntax:

outer_macro (argument1, inner_macro (argument2))

This will replace the argument1 and argument2 with the values you provide in the search string. For example, if you want to pass “foo” as the argument1 and “bar” as the argument2, you can write:

outer_macro ("foo", inner_macro ("bar"))

This will expand the macros with the corresponding arguments and run the SPL code contained in them.

The maxspan function of the transaction command allows you to set the maximum total time between the earliest and latest events returned. The maxspan function is an argument that can be used with the transaction command to specify the start and end constraints for the transactions. The maxspan function takes a time modifier as its value, such as 30s, 5m, 1h, etc. The maxspan function sets the maximum time span between the first and last events in a transaction. If the time span between the first and last events exceeds the maxspan value, the transaction will be split into multiple transactions.

When using the Field Extractor (FX) in Splunk to perform field extraction, any consistent character can be used as a delimiter. The Field Extractor allows users to define how fields are separated in the raw event data, and as long as the delimiter is consistent, the FX tool can parse and extract the fields correctly.

In Splunk, the order of operations for Boolean logic in the where command follows this sequence:

Parentheses: Operations inside parentheses are evaluated first.

NOT: The NOT operator is evaluated after parentheses.

AND: The AND operator is evaluated next.

OR: Finally, the OR operator is evaluated last.

This order ensures that expressions within parentheses are given priority, followed by negations (NOT), conjunctions (AND), and finally disjunctions (OR).

The correct answer is B. The value for the productName field because it appears first.

The coalesce function is an eval function that takes an arbitrary number of arguments and returns the first value that is not null. A null value means that the field has no value at all, while an empty value means that the field has a value, but it is “” or zero-length1.

The coalesce function can be used to combine fields that have different names but represent the same data, such as IP address or user name. The coalesce function can also be used to rename fields for clarity or convenience2.

The syntax for the coalesce function is:

coalesce(,,…)

The coalesce function will return the value of the first field that is not null in the argument list. If all fields are null, the coalesce function will return null.

For example, if you have a set of events where the IP address is extracted to either clientip or ipaddress, you can use the coalesce function to define a new field called ip, that takes the value of either clientip or ipaddress, depending on which is not null:

| eval ip=coalesce(clientip,ipaddress)

In your example, you have a set of events where the product name is extracted to either productName or productid, and you use the coalesce function to define a new field called productINFO, that takes the value of either productName or productid, depending on which is not null:

| eval productINFO=coalesce(productName,productid)

If both productName and productid fields have values for a given event, the coalesce function will return the value of the productName field because it appears first in the argument list. The productid field will be ignored by the coalesce function.

Therefore, the value for the productName field will be used to populate the productINFO field if both fields have values for a given event.

Field aliases are applied based on host, source, or sourcetype.

Extract: “Create field aliases by specifying the host, source, or sourcetype that the alias applies to.”

Thus, the correct answer is Sourcetypes.

Macros in Splunk are defined with the number of arguments inside parentheses after the macro name. For two arguments, the syntax is samplemacro(2). This defines a macro accepting two arguments.

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The correct answers are B. duration and D. transaction id.

The explanation is as follows:

The transaction command is a Splunk command that finds transactions based on events that meet various constraints12.

Transactions are made up of the raw text (the _raw field) of each member, the time and date fields of the earliest member, as well as the union of all other fields of each member12.

The transaction command adds some fields to the raw events that are part of the transaction123. These fields are:

duration: The difference, in seconds, between the timestamps for the first and last events in the transaction123.

eventcount: The number of events in the transaction123.

transaction_id: A unique identifier for each transaction3. This field is useful for filtering or joining transactions3.

Therefore, the fields that the transaction command adds to the raw events are duration and transaction_id, which are options B and D in your question.

To group events by JSESSIONID, the correct search is index=web sourcetype=access_combined | transaction JSESSIONID | search SD470K92802F117 (Option B). The transaction command groups events that share the same JSESSIONID value, allowing for the analysis of all events associated with a specific session as a single transaction. The subsequent search for SD470K92802F117 filters these grouped transactions to include only those related to the specified session ID.

The time range specified for a historical search defines the amount of data fetched from the index matching that time range2. A historical search is a search that runs over a fixed period of time in the past2. When you run a historical search, Splunk searches the index for events that match your search string and fall within the specified time range2. Therefore, option B is correct, while options A and C are incorrect because they are not what the time range defines for a historical search.

Tags are a type of knowledge object that enable you to assign descriptive keywords to events based on the values of their fields. Tags can help you to search more efficiently for groups of event data that share common characteristics, such as functionality, location, priority, etc. For example, you can tag all the IP addresses of your routers as router, and then search for tag=router to find all the events related to your routers. Tags can also help you to normalize data from different sources by using the same tag name for equivalent field values. For example, you can tag the field values error, fail, and critical as severity=high, and then search for severity=high to find all the events with high severity level2

1: Splunk Core Certified Power User Track, page 10. 2: Splunk Documentation, About tags and aliases.

The eval command ‘if’ function requires the following three arguments (in order): boolean expression, result if true, result if false. The eval command is a search command that allows you to create new fields or modify existing fields by performing calculations or transformations on them. The eval command can use various functions to perform different operations on fields. The ‘if’ function is one of the functions that can be used with the eval command to perform conditional evaluations on fields. The ‘if’ function takes three arguments: a boolean expression that evaluates to true or false, a result that will be returned if the boolean expression is true, and a result that will be returned if the boolean expression is false. The ‘if’ function returns one of the two results based on the evaluation of the boolean expression.

Data model acceleration is a feature that speeds up searches on data models by creating and storing summaries of the data model datasets1. To enable data model acceleration, you must have administrative permissions or the accelerate_datamodel capability1. Therefore, option D is correct. Accelerated data models cannot be edited unless you disable the acceleration first1. Therefore, option B is correct. Private data models cannot be accelerated because they are not visible to other users1. Therefore, option C is correct. Root events can be accelerated as long as they are not based on a search string1. Therefore, option A is incorrect.

Search workflow actions are custom actions that run a search when you click on a field value in your search results. Search workflow actions can be configured with various options, such as label name, search string, time range, app context, etc. One of the options is to define the time range of the search when creating the workflow action. You can choose from predefined time ranges, such as Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, etc., or specify a custom time range using relative or absolute time modifiers. Search workflow actions do not run as real-time searches by default, but rather use the same time range as the original search unless specified otherwise. Search workflow actions cannot be configured as scheduled searches, as they are only triggered by user interaction. Search workflow actions can be configured with any valid search string that includes any search command, such as transaction.

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The correct answer is D. Event types do not include a time range.

The explanation is as follows:

Event types are a categorization system that help you make sense of your data by matching events with the same search string1. Event types are applied to events at search time and can be used as search terms or filters12.

Saved reports are results saved from a search action that can show statistics and visualizations of events3. Saved reports can be run anytime, and they fetch fresh results each time they are run34. Saved reports can be shared with other users and added to dashboards4.

The main difference between event types and saved reports is that event types do not include a time range, while saved reports do14. This means that event types can match events from any time period, while saved reports are limited by the time range specified when they are created or run14.

The transaction command is a Splunk command that finds transactions based on events that meet various constraints .

Transactions are made up of the raw text (the _raw field) of each member, the time and date fields of the earliest member, as well as the union of all other fields of each member .

The transaction command groups events together by matching one or more fields that have the same value across the events . For example, | transaction clientip will group events that have the same value in the clientip field.

https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/8.0.2/Search/Abouttransactions

In other cases, it's usually better to use the stats command, which performs more efficiently, especially in a distributed environment. Often there is a unique ID in the events and stats can be used.

To search for a tag on a specific field, Splunk requires the syntax tag::=.

Extract: “To search for a tag associated with a field, use tag::=.”

Thus, tag::host=prod is correct.

The datamodel command is a generating command that searches a data model.

Extract: “The datamodel command lets you search data model datasets. It returns events from the data model when used with the search keyword.”

Thus, the search returns events from the data model Application_State.

Search macros with arguments must include the number of arguments in parentheses.

Extract: “If your macro includes arguments, append the number of arguments to the macro name. For example, mymacro(2).”

Thus, samplemacro(2) is correct.

The explanation is as follows:

The transaction command is used to find transactions based on events that meet various constraints12.

Transactions are made up of the raw text (the _raw field) of each member, the time and date fields of the earliest member, as well as the union of all other fields of each member1.

The startswith option is used to define the first event in a transaction by specifying a search term or an expression that matches the event13.

For example, | transaction clientip JSESSIONID startswith="view" will create transactions based on the clientip and JSESSIONID fields, and the first event in each transaction will contain the term “view” in the _raw field2.

In this case, the outer join is applied, which means that all rows from the outer (left) table will be included, even if there are no matching rows in the inner (right) table. The result will include all five rows from the outer table, with the matched data from the inner table where employeeNumber matches. Rows without matching employeeNumber values will have null values for the fields from the inner table.

The correct answer is D. eval.

A calculated field is a field that is added to events at search time by using an eval expression. A calculated field can use the values of two or more fields that are already present in the events to perform calculations. A calculated field can be defined with Splunk Web or in the props.conf file. They can be used in searches, reports, dashboards, and data models like any other extracted field1.

A calculated field is a shortcut for performing repetitive, long, or complex transformations using the eval command. The eval command is used to create or modify fields by using expressions. The eval command can perform mathematical, string, date and time, comparison, logical, and other operations on fields or values2.

For example, if you want to create a new field named total that is the sum of two fields named price and tax, you can use the eval command as follows:

| eval total=price+tax

However, if you want to use this new field in multiple searches, reports, or dashboards, you can create a calculated field instead of writing the eval command every time. To create a calculated field with Splunk Web, you need to go to Settings > Fields > Calculated Fields and enter the name of the new field (total), the name of the sourcetype (sales), and the eval expression (price+tax). This will create a calculated field named total that will be added to all events with the sourcetype sales at search time. You can then use the total field like any other extracted field without writing the eval expression1.

The other options are not correct because they are not related to calculated fields. These options are:

A. transaction: This command is used to group events that share some common values into a single record, called a transaction. A transaction can span multiple events and multiple sources, and can be useful for correlating events that are related but not contiguous3.

B. lookup: This command is used to enrich events with additional fields from an external source, such as a CSV file or a database. A lookup can add fields to events based on the values of existing fields, such as host, source, sourcetype, or any other extracted field.

C. stats: This command is used to calculate summary statistics on the fields in the search results, such as count, sum, average, etc. It can be used to group and aggregate data by one or more fields.

https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/8.1.0/SearchReference/ConversionFunctions#tostring.28X.2CY.29

The tostring function in the eval command converts a numeric value to a string value. It can take an optional second argument that specifies the format of the string value. Some of the possible formats are:

hex: converts the numeric value to a hexadecimal string.

commas: adds commas to separate thousands in the numeric value.

duration: converts the numeric value to a human-readable duration string, such as “2h 3m 4s”.

Therefore, the formats A, B, and D can be used with the tostring function.

When using the Field Extractor (FX) in Splunk for regex field extraction, it's important to select the context in which you want to perform the extraction. The context is essentially the subset of data you're focusing on for your field extraction task.

D. Sourcetype or source: This is the correct option. In the initial steps of using the Field Extractor tool, you're prompted to choose a data type for your field extraction. The options available are typically based on the nature of your data and how it's organized in Splunk. "Sourcetype" refers to the kind of data you're dealing with, a categorization that helps Splunk apply specific processing rules. "Source" refers to the origin of the data, like a specific log file or data input. By selecting either a sourcetype or source, you're narrowing down the dataset on which you'll perform the regex extraction, making it more manageable and relevant.

The correct answer is B. Calculated fields can be chained together to create more complex fields.

Calculated fields are fields that are added to events at search time by using eval expressions. They can be used to perform calculations with the values of two or more fields already present in those events. Calculated fields can be defined with Splunk Web or in the props.conf file. They can be used in searches, reports, dashboards, and data models like any other extracted field1.

Calculated fields can also be chained together to create more complex fields. This means that you can use a calculated field as an input for another calculated field. For example, if you have a calculated field named total that sums up the values of two fields named price and tax, you can use the total field to create another calculated field named discount that applies a percentage discount to the total field. To do this, you need to define the discount field with an eval expression that references the total field, such as:

discount = total * 0.9

This will create a new field named discount that is equal to 90% of the total field value for each event2.

The transaction command allows you to correlate events across multiple sources. The transaction command is a search command that allows you to group events into transactions based on some common characteristics, such as fields, time, or both. A transaction is a group of events that share one or more fields that relate them to each other. A transaction can span across multiple sources or sourcetypes that have different formats or structures of data. The transaction command can help you correlate events across multiple sources by using the common fields as the basis for grouping. The transaction command can also create some additional fields for each transaction, such as duration, eventcount, startime, etc.

A chart is a graphical representation of your search results that shows the relationship between two or more fields2. You can display a chart in stack mode by changing the Stack Mode option in the Format menu2. Stack mode allows you to stack multiple series on top of each other in a chart to show the cumulative values of each series2. Therefore, option C is correct, while options A, B and D are incorrect because they are not ways to display a chart in stack mode.

Splunk alerts can be based on searches that run in real-time or on a regular schedule3. An alert is a way to monitor your data and get notified when certain conditions are met3. You can create an alert by specifying a search and a triggering condition3. You can also specify how often you want to run the search and how you want to receive the alert notifications3. You can run the alert search in real-time, which means that it continuously monitors your data as it streams into Splunk3. Alternatively, you can run the alert search on a regular schedule, which means that it runs at fixed intervals such as every hour or every day3. Therefore, options A and B are correct, while option C is incorrect because it is not a way to run an alert search.

The correct answer is A. chart, timechart, stats, eventstats.

Transforming commands are commands that change the format of the search results into a table or a chart. They can be used to perform statistical calculations, create visualizations, or manipulate data in various ways1.

Transactions are groups of events that share some common values and are related in some way. Transactions can be defined by using the transaction command or by creating a transaction type in the transactiontypes.conf file2.

Some transforming commands can be used with transactions to create tables or charts based on the transaction fields. These commands include:

chart: This command creates a table or a chart that shows the relationship between two or more fields. It can be used to aggregate values, count occurrences, or calculate statistics3.

timechart: This command creates a table or a chart that shows how a field changes over time. It can be used to plot trends, patterns, or outliers4.

stats: This command calculates summary statistics on the fields in the search results, such as count, sum, average, etc. It can be used to group and aggregate data by one or more fields5.

eventstats: This command calculates summary statistics on the fields in the search results, similar to stats, but it also adds the results to each event as new fields. It can be used to compare events with the overall statistics.

These commands can be applied to transactions by using the transaction fields as arguments. For example, if you have a transaction type named “login” that groups events based on the user field and has fields such as duration and eventcount, you can use the following commands with transactions:

| chart count by user : This command creates a table or a chart that shows how many transactions each user has.

| timechart span=1h avg(duration) by user : This command creates a table or a chart that shows the average duration of transactions for each user per hour.

| stats sum(eventcount) as total_events by user : This command creates a table that shows the total number of events for each user across all transactions.

| eventstats avg(duration) as avg_duration : This command adds a new field named avg_duration to each transaction that shows the average duration of all transactions.

The other options are not valid because they include commands that are not transforming commands or cannot be used with transactions. These commands are:

diff: This command compares two search results and shows the differences between them. It is not a transforming command and it does not work with transactions.

datamodel: This command retrieves data from a data model, which is a way to organize and categorize data in Splunk. It is not a transforming command and it does not work with transactions.

pivot: This command creates a pivot report, which is a way to analyze data from a data model using a graphical interface. It is not a transforming command and it does not work with transactions.

Tags are a knowledge object that allow you to assign an alias to one or more field values . Tags are applied to events at search time and can be used as search terms or filters .

Tags can help you make your data more understandable by replacing cryptic or complex field values with meaningful names . For example, you can tag the value 200 in the status field as success, or tag the value 404 as not_found .

In Splunk, a variable for a macro is defined by placing the variable name inside dollar signs, like this: $variable name$. This syntax allows the macro to dynamically replace the variable with the appropriate value when the macro is invoked within a search. Using this method ensures that the search strings can be dynamically adjusted based on the variable's value at runtime.

The Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) is a collection of data models that apply a common structure and naming convention to data from any source. A data model is a type of knowledge object that defines the structure and relationships of fields in a dataset. A data model can have one or more datasets, which are subsets of the data model that represent different aspects of the data. For example, the Network Traffic data model has datasets such as All Traffic, DNS, HTTP, etc. The CIM contains 28 pre-configured data models that cover various domains such as authentication, network traffic, web, email, etc. The CIM is implemented as an add-on that contains the JSON files for the data models, documentation, and tools that support the consistent, normalized treatment of data for maximum efficiency at search time23

1: Splunk Core Certified Power User Track, page 10. 2: Splunk Documentation, Overview of the Splunk Common Information Model 1. 3: Splunkbase, Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) 2.

The timechart command buckets data in time intervals depending on the selected time range2. The timechart command is similar to the chart command but it automatically groups events into time buckets based on the _time field2. The size of the time buckets depends on the time range that you select for your search. For example, if you select Last 24 hours as your time range, Splunk will use 30-minute buckets for your timechart. If you select Last 7 days as your time range, Splunk will use 4-hour buckets for your timechart2. Therefore, option B is correct, while options A and C are incorrect because they are not factors that affect the size of the time buckets.