Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin Practice Test

Which entity in Splunk is responsible for collecting logs and data from various sources?

1. Indexer

2. Universal Forwarder

3. Search Head

4. Deployment Server

The correct answer is: Universal Forwarder

The Universal Forwarder plays a crucial role in the Splunk ecosystem as the component specifically designed for collecting logs and other types of data from various sources. It is a lightweight agent installed on the machines that need to forward data to a Splunk indexer, ensuring that data is captured seamlessly from different locations, regardless of whether they're located on the same network or across the internet. The Universal Forwarder effectively monitors files and directories for changes, allowing real-time data ingestion which is vital for timely log analysis and troubleshooting. Its primary function is to send the collected data to the indexer, where it is processed and stored for searching and reporting purposes. Understanding the role of the Universal Forwarder is essential for setting up and maintaining a robust Splunk environment, particularly in distributed architectures. Other components like the indexer, search head, and deployment server have distinct functionalities that focus on processing, searching, and managing configuration, respectively. However, when it comes to the actual collection of data from source systems, the Universal Forwarder is the key player.