Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin Practice Test

What is the function of Splunk’s search head?

1. Collecting data from forwarders

2. Storing data in the index

3. Distributing search queries to indexers

4. Configuring forwarders

The correct answer is: Distributing search queries to indexers

The function of a Splunk search head is to distribute search queries to indexers. This component acts as a user interface and coordination point, allowing users to run searches across the datasets that are stored in the indexers. When a user submits a query, the search head optimizes that search and then sends it to one or more indexers which contain the relevant indexed data. After receiving the results from the indexers, the search head compiles and presents them back to the user. This role is vital because it separates the responsibilities of data indexing and data searching, enhancing performance and scalability across large datasets. Users can perform complex searches and analysis without overloading the indexers, which are dedicated to data indexing and storage. In this context, other options represent different functionalities within the Splunk ecosystem. Collecting data from forwarders, storing data in the index, and configuring forwarders are tasks typically associated with different components of the Splunk architecture, such as the forwarder or indexer itself, rather than the search head.