Splunk Administrator and Analyst Crash Course

The Splunk Administrator and Analyst Crash Course is a comprehensive 5-day training program designed to equip participants with the skills to harness the full potential of Splunk for data ingestion, management, searching, visualization, and administration. Whether you are a novice or looking to refine your expertise, this course covers everything from setting up Splunk instances to advanced dashboard creation and user management. With hands-on exercises and real-world demos, participants will gain practical experience and actionable insights to leverage Splunk effectively in their organization.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will:

• Understand the architecture and core components of the Splunk platform.
• Set up and manage Splunk instances on Linux and Windows environments.
• Ingest and monitor diverse data types using Splunk forwarders and data inputs.
• Perform searches using the Splunk Processing Language (SPL) and extract meaningful insights.
• Create interactive visualizations, dashboards, and alerts for real-time data monitoring.
• Configure role-based access, manage users, and maintain a secure Splunk environment.
• Develop and implement data models to streamline data analysis.
• Apply their knowledge to a capstone project, showcasing their ability to design a complete Splunk solution.

Course Outline:

Day 1: Splunk Architecture and Initial Setup

Morning Session:

• The Splunk Platform
• How Splunk Stores Data
• Understanding Licensing
• Configuration Files
• Splunk Apps and Add-ons

Afternoon Session:

• Section 1 Quiz (10 questions)
• Provision a Splunk Cloud Platform Instance
• Forwarding Data into Splunk Cloud Platform

Demo:

• Provision a Splunk Cloud instance and configure basic settings.

Exercise for Participants:

• Set up a free Splunk instance and navigate the GUI.

 

Day 2: Data Ingestion and Management

Morning Session:

• Install Splunk Enterprise on Linux and Windows
• Forwarding Data into Splunk (Linux and Windows)
• Splunk Data Inputs
• Configuring Inputs

Demo:

• Set up a forwarder to send log data to Splunk.

Exercise for Participants:

• Install Splunk Enterprise on their systems and forward sample data logs.

Afternoon Session:

• Forwarders Revisited
• Upload and Monitor Data
• Configure a Heavy Forwarder

Demo:

• Monitor a directory for new log files and upload them to Splunk.

Exercise for Participants:

• Configure inputs and ingest data from a local file or folder.

 

Day 3: Searching and Exploring Data

Morning Session:

• The Anatomy of a Search
• Time and Time Variables
• Basic Searching
• Fields and Field Extractions

Demo:

• Perform basic searches and use filters.

Exercise for Participants:

• Use search commands to retrieve specific data from an uploaded dataset.

Afternoon Session:

• Intermediate Searching
• SPL Quiz (10 questions)

Demo:

• Create tables, pivots, and dashboards from search results.

Exercise for Participants:

• Extract fields and create a dashboard with visualizations.

 

Day 4: Visualization and Advanced Features

Morning Session:

• Basics of Visualization
• Types of Visualizations
• Data Models
• Reporting and Alerting
• The Pivot Tool

Demo:

• Build a real-time dashboard with alerts.

Exercise for Participants:

• Create a multi-panel dashboard with charts, tables, and real-time data visualizations.

Afternoon Session:

• Build a Data Model

Demo:

• Develop and configure a data model for a specific use case.

Exercise for Participants:

• Create a data model and design visualizations using the data model.

 

Day 5: Administration and Final Project

Morning Session:

• Deployment Servers and Forwarder Management
• Users, Roles, and Authentication
• Configuration Files Review
• Knowledge Objects and Lookups

Demo:

• Set up role-based access and configure authentication.

Exercise for Participants:

• Assign roles and permissions to users in their Splunk instance.

Afternoon Session:

• Final Exam (20 questions)
• Capstone Project:
  • Design a complete Splunk solution using knowledge from the week.

Demo:

• Present a pre-built solution as a reference.

Exercise for Participants:

• Build and present a full use case that includes data ingestion, searching, visualization, and user management.

 

This version adds practical demos and exercises to enhance hands-on learning and engagement. Let me know if you need further refinements!