Splunk Splunk Certifications SPLK-2003 Questions & Answers

• Question 41:

  How can an individual asset action be manually started?

  A. With the > action button in the analyst queue page.

  B. By executing a playbook in the Playbooks section.

  C. With the > action button in the Investigation page.

  D. With the > asset button in the asset configuration section.

  Correct Answer: C

  An individual asset action can be manually started with the > action button in the Investigation page. This allows the user to select an asset and an action to perform on it. The other options are not valid ways to start an asset action manually. See Performing asset actions for more information. Individual asset actions in Splunk SOAR can be manually initiated from the Investigation page of a container. The "> action" button on this page allows users to execute specific actions associated with assets directly, enabling on- the-fly operations on artifacts or indicators within a container. This feature is particularly useful for ad-hoc analysis and actions, allowing analysts to respond to or investigate specific aspects of an incident without the need for a full playbook.

• Question 42:

  During a second test of a playbook, a user receives an error that states: 'an empty parameters list was passed to phantom.act()." What does this indicate?

  A. The container has artifacts not parameters.

  B. The playbook is using an incorrect container.

  C. The playbook debugger's scope is set to new.

  D. The playbook debugger's scope is set to all.

  Correct Answer: A

  The error message "an empty parameters list was passed to phantom.act()" typically indicates that the action being called by the playbook does not have the required parameters to execute. This can happen if the playbook expects certain data to be present in the container's artifacts but finds none. Artifacts in Splunk SOAR (Phantom) are data elements associated with a container (such as an event or alert) that playbooks can act upon. If a playbook action is designed to use data from artifacts as parameters and those artifacts are missing or do not contain the expected data, the playbook cannot execute the action properly, leading to this error.

• Question 43:

  When the Splunk App for SOAR Export executes a Splunk search, which activities are completed?

  A. CEF fields are mapped to CIM flelds and a container is created on the SOAR server.

  B. CIM fields are mapped to CEF fields and a container is created on the SOAR server.

  C. CEF fields are mapped to CIM and a container is created on the Splunk server.

  D. CIM fields are mapped to CEF and a container is created on the Splunk server.

  Correct Answer: B

  When the Splunk App for SOAR Export executes a Splunk search, it typically involves mapping Common Information Model (CIM) fields from Splunk to the Common Event Format (CEF) used by SOAR, after which a container is created on the SOAR server to house the related artifacts and information. This process allows for the integration of data between Splunk, which uses CIM for data normalization, and Splunk SOAR, which uses CEF as its data format for incidents and events.

  Splunk App for SOAR Export is responsible for sending data from your Splunk Enterprise or Splunk Cloud instances to Splunk SOAR. The Splunk App for SOAR Export acts as a translation service between the Splunk platform and Splunk SOAR by performing the following tasks:

  稭apping fields from Splunk platform alerts, such as saved searches and data models, to CEF fields.

  稵ranslating CIM fields from Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) notable events to CEF fields. 稦orwarding events in CEF format to Splunk SOAR, which are stored as artifacts. Therefore, option B is the correct answer, as it states the activities

  that are completed when the Splunk App for SOAR Export executes a Splunk search. Option A is incorrect, because CEF fields are not mapped to CIM fields, but the other way around. Option C is incorrect, because a container is not created

  on the Splunk server, but on the SOAR server. Option D is incorrect, because a container is not created on the Splunk server, but on the SOAR server.

  Web search results from search_web(query="Splunk SOAR Automation Developer Splunk App for SOAR Export")

• Question 44:

  When is using decision blocks most useful?

  A. When selecting one (or zero) possible paths in the playbook.

  B. When processing different data in parallel.

  C. When evaluating complex, multi-value results or artifacts.

  D. When modifying downstream data hi one or more paths in the playbook.

  Correct Answer: A

  Decision blocks are most useful when selecting one (or zero) possible paths in the playbook. Decision blocks allow the user to define one or more conditions based on action results, artifacts, or custom expressions, and execute the corresponding path if the condition is met. If none of the conditions are met, the playbook execution ends. Decision blocks are not used for processing different data in parallel, evaluating complex, multi-value results or artifacts, or modifying downstream data in one or more paths in the playbook. Decision blocks within Splunk Phantom playbooks are used to control the flow of execution based on certain criteria. They are most useful when you need to select one or potentially no paths for the playbook to follow, based on the evaluation of specified conditions. This is akin to an if-else or switch-case logic in programming where depending on the conditions met, a particular path is chosen for further actions. Decision blocks evaluate the data and direct the playbook to different paths accordingly, making them a fundamental component for creating dynamic and responsive automation workflows.

• Question 45:

  After a playbook has run, where are the results stored?

  A. Splunk Index

  B. Case

  C. Container

  D. Log file

  Correct Answer: C

  The correct answer is C because after a playbook has run, the results are stored in the container that triggered the playbook. The container is a data object that represents an event or a case in Phantom. The container contains information such as the name, the description, the severity, the status, the owner, and the labels of the event or case. The container also contains the artifacts, the action results, the comments, the notes, and the phases and tasks associated with the event or case. The answer A is incorrect because after a playbook has run, the results are not stored in a Splunk index, which is a data structure that stores events from various data sources in Splunk. The Splunk index is not directly accessible by Phantom, but can be queried by Phantom using the Splunk app. The answer B is incorrect because after a playbook has run, the results are not stored in a case, which is a type of container that represents a security incident in Phantom. The case is a subset of the container, and not all containers are cases. The answer D is incorrect because after a playbook has run, the results are not stored in a log file, which is a file that records the activities or events that occur in a system or a process. The log file is not a data object in Phantom, but can be a data source for Phantom. Reference: Splunk SOAR User Guide, page 19. In Splunk Phantom, after a playbook has been executed, the results of the actions within that playbook are stored in the container associated with the event. A container is a data structure that encapsulates all relevant information and data for an incident or event within Phantom, including action results, artifacts, notes, and more. The container allows users to see a consolidated view of all the data and activity related to a particular event. These results are not stored in the Splunk Index, a separate case, or a log file as their primary storage but may be sent to a Splunk index for further analysis.

• Question 46:

  In addition to full backups. Phantom supports what other backup type using backup?

  A. Snapshot

  B. Incremental

  C. Partial

  D. Differential

  Correct Answer: B

  Splunk Phantom supports incremental backups in addition to full backups. An incremental backup is a type of backup that only copies the data that has changed since the last backup (whether that was a full backup or another incremental backup). This method is more storage-efficient than a full backup because it does not repeatedly back up the same data, reducing the amount of storage required and speeding up the backup process. Differential backups, which record the changes since the last full backup, and partial backups, which allow the selection of specific data to back up, are not standard backup types offered by Splunk Phantom according to its documentation.

• Question 47:

  On a multi-tenant Phantom server, what is the default tenant's ID?

  A. 0

  B. Default

  C. 1

  D. *

  Correct Answer: C

  The correct answer is C because the default tenant's ID is 1. The tenant ID is a unique identifier for each tenant on a multi-tenant Phantom server. The default tenant is the tenant that is created when Phantom is installed and contains all the existing data and assets. The default tenant's ID is always 1 and cannot be changed. Other tenants have IDs that are assigned sequentially starting from 2. See Splunk SOAR Documentation for more details. In a multi-tenant Splunk SOAR environment, the default tenant is typically assigned an ID of 1. This ID is system-generated and is used to uniquely identify the default tenant within the SOAR database and system configurations. The default tenant serves as the primary operational environment before any additional tenants are configured, and its ID is crucial for database operations, API calls, and internal reference within the SOAR platform. Understanding and correctly using tenant IDs is essential for managing resources, permissions, and data access in a multi-tenant SOAR setup.

• Question 48:

  A user has written a playbook that calls three other playbooks, one after the other. The user notices that the second playbook starts executing before the first one completes. What is the cause of this behavior?

  A. Synchronous execution has not been configured.

  B. The first playbook is performing poorly.

  C. The sleep option for the second playbook is not set to a long enough interval.

  D. Incorrect join configuration on the second playbook.

  Correct Answer: A

  In Splunk SOAR, playbooks can execute actions either synchronously (waiting for one action to complete before starting the next) or asynchronously (allowing actions to run concurrently). If a playbook starts executing before the previous one has completed, it indicates that synchronous execution has not been properly configured between these playbooks. This is crucial when the output of one playbook is a dependency for the subsequent playbook. Options B, C, and D do not directly address the observed behavior of concurrent playbook execution, making option A the most accurate explanation for why the second playbook starts before the completion of the first.

  synchronous execution is a feature of the SOAR automation engine that allows you to control the order of execution of playbook blocks. Synchronous execution ensures that a playbook block waits for the completion of the previous block before starting its execution. Synchronous execution can be enabled or disabled for each playbook block in the playbook editor, by toggling the Synchronous Execution switch in the block settings. Therefore, option A is the correct answer, as it states the cause of the behavior where the second playbook starts executing before the first one completes. Option B is incorrect, because the first playbook performing poorly is not the cause of the behavior, but rather a possible consequence of the behavior. Option C is incorrect, because the sleep option for the second playbook is not the cause of the behavior, but rather a workaround that can be used to delay the execution of the second playbook. Option D is incorrect, because the join configuration on the second playbook is not the cause of the behavior, but rather a way of merging multiple paths of execution into one. Web search results from search_web(query="Splunk SOAR Automation Developer synchronous execution")

• Question 49:

  Which of the following are the default ports that must be configured on Splunk to allow connections from Phantom?

  A. SplunkWeb (8088), SplunkD (8089), HTTP Collector (8000)

  B. SplunkWeb (8089), SplunkD (8088), HTTP Collector (8000)

  C. SplunkWeb (8421), SplunkD (8061), HTTP Collector (8798)

  D. SplunkWeb (8000), SplunkD (8089), HTTP Collector (8088)

  Correct Answer: D

  The correct answer is D because the default ports that must be configured on Splunk to allow connections from Phantom are SplunkWeb (8000), SplunkD (8089), and HTTP Collector (8088). SplunkWeb is the port used to access the Splunk web interface. SplunkD is the port used to communicate with the Splunk server. HTTP Collector is the port used to send data to Splunk using the HTTP Event Collector (HEC). These ports must be configured on Splunk and Phantom to enable the integration between the two products. See Splunk SOAR Documentation for more details. To allow connections from Splunk Phantom to Splunk, certain default ports need to be open and properly configured. The default ports include SplunkWeb (8000) for web access, SplunkD (8089) for Splunk's management port, and the HTTP Event Collector (HEC) on port 8088, which is used for ingesting data into Splunk. These ports are essential for the communication between Splunk Phantom and Splunk, facilitating data exchange, search capabilities, and the integration of various functionalities between the two platforms.

• Question 50:

  Which of the following is a best practice for use of the global block?

  A. Execute code at the beginning of each run of the playbook.

  B. Declare outputs which will be selectable within playbook blocks.

  C. Import packages which will be used within the playbook.

  D. Execute custom code after each run of the playbook.

  Correct Answer: C

  The global block within a Splunk SOAR playbook is primarily used to import external packages or define global variables that will be utilized across various parts of the playbook. This block sets the stage for the playbook by ensuring that all necessary libraries, modules, or predefined variables are available for use in subsequent actions, decision blocks, or custom code segments within the playbook. This practice promotes code reuse and efficiency, enabling more sophisticated and powerful playbook designs by leveraging external functionalities.