Splunk Core Certified User Practice Exam

When should wildcards be avoided in Splunk searches?

1. When searching for numbers

2. When items contain punctuation

3. When searching large datasets

4. When using complex queries

The correct answer is: When items contain punctuation

Wildcards are powerful tools in Splunk searches, enabling users to match patterns and incomplete terms. However, their use can lead to inefficiencies, especially in certain contexts. While the choice indicates that wildcards should be avoided when the items contain punctuation, the most significant concern generally arises with large datasets. Using wildcards in large datasets can result in performance issues and slower search times. This is because wildcards instruct Splunk to examine every possible match, which increases the amount of data that must be processed. When searching large datasets, it’s better to use more specific terms to narrow down results and achieve quicker response times. Understanding when to avoid wildcards, especially in relation to the dataset size, is crucial for optimizing searches and improving the efficiency of the Splunk environment.