Summary

This first chapter of Part 2 of the book aimed to get you started with Splunk data administration. We began with the introduction of data input types, including the file-based, network, agentless (HEC), and script-based options. There is also a special type of input that can be installed through TAs available from https://splunkbase.com. We also understood that these inputs are configured either by creating an inputs.conf file or through the Splunk CLI.

Afterward, we looked at the default metadata fields assigned by Splunk, along with their significance when searching data. The sourcetype field plays a crucial role in Splunk as it helps classify and categorize data by its source type. Splunk uses a pre-trained list of source types to automatically detect and assign the appropriate sourcetype if none is specified during the input phase. sourcetype definitions are configured in the props.conf file, where data administrators create custom ones based on the type of data they...