Splunk Core Certified User Practice Exam

What component of Splunk processes machine data and stores results as events?

1. Search Head

2. Indexer

3. Forwarder

4. Deployment Server

The correct answer is: Indexer

The indexer is the component of Splunk responsible for processing machine data and storing the results as events. When data is ingested into Splunk, the indexer performs several crucial functions. It parses incoming data, extracting fields and indexing the information to allow for efficient searching later. This indexing process transforms raw data into a structured format that can be queried quickly, enabling users to retrieve relevant events with speed and efficiency. In contrast, the search head is primarily used for running searches and managing user interactions with the data, while the forwarder is responsible for collecting and sending log data to the indexer. The deployment server is tasked with managing configurations and updating different Splunk components across an environment but does not directly handle data indexing. Thus, while each component has its specific role, the indexer is distinctly focused on the essential tasks of processing and storing events, making it the correct choice for this question.