Splunk Core Certified User Practice Exam

Which search term is considered more optimal when searching?

1. "access denied"

2. NOT "access granted"

3. "access granted"

4. "access" AND "denied"

The correct answer is: "access denied"

The search term "access denied" is considered more optimal because it is a specific phrase search enclosed in quotation marks. This indicates to the search engine that the exact sequence of words should be matched, making the search results more precise. When terms are enclosed in quotation marks, the search engine looks for that exact phrase, which reduces the noise from variations or other phrases containing the individual words in different order or contexts. In the context of searching through logs or datasets, using exact phrases helps in quickly identifying records that contain that specific information, thus enhancing the efficiency of the search process. This specificity is crucial when working with large datasets where general terms could yield a vast array of irrelevant results. Using alternatives, such as combining terms with logical operators (AND, OR, NOT), can broaden or refocus the scope of a search but may lead to more ambiguous results. For instance, "access" AND "denied" would return results that contain both words, but they could appear in different contexts or orders, leading to less relevant findings. Similarly, using NOT with "access granted" implies looking for everything that doesn't include that phrase, which can produce a wider range of irrelevant results. Therefore, being specific with the phrase "access denied" optimizes the