Book Image

Implementing Splunk 7, Third Edition - Third Edition

Book Image

Implementing Splunk 7, Third Edition - Third Edition

Overview of this book

Splunk is the leading platform that fosters an efficient methodology and delivers ways to search, monitor, and analyze growing amounts of big data. This book will allow you to implement new services and utilize them to quickly and efficiently process machine-generated big data. We introduce you to all the new features, improvements, and offerings of Splunk 7. We cover the new modules of Splunk: Splunk Cloud and the Machine Learning Toolkit to ease data usage. Furthermore, you will learn to use search terms effectively with Boolean and grouping operators. You will learn not only how to modify your search to make your searches fast but also how to use wildcards efficiently. Later you will learn how to use stats to aggregate values, a chart to turn data, and a time chart to show values over time; you'll also work with fields and chart enhancements and learn how to create a data model with faster data model acceleration. Once this is done, you will learn about XML Dashboards, working with apps, building advanced dashboards, configuring and extending Splunk, advanced deployments, and more. Finally, we teach you how to use the Machine Learning Toolkit and best practices and tips to help you implement Splunk services effectively and efficiently. By the end of this book, you will have learned about the Splunk software as a whole and implemented Splunk services in your tasks at projects
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
Title Page
Packt Upsell
Contributors
Preface
Index

Development process


When building dashboards, my approach is generally as follows:

  1. Create the required queries.
  2. Add the queries to a simple XML dashboard. Use the GUI tools to tweak the dashboard as much as possible. If possible, finish all graphical changes at this stage.
  3. If form elements are needed, convert the simple XML dashboard to a form. If possible, make all logic work with simple XML.
  4. Convert the simple XML dashboard to an advanced XML dashboard. There is no reverse conversion possible, so this should be done as late as possible and only if needed.
  5. Edit the advanced XML dashboard accordingly.

The idea is to take advantage of the Splunk GUI tools as much as possible, letting the simple XML conversion process add all of the advanced XML that you would otherwise have to find yourself. We covered steps 1-3 in the previous chapters. Step 4 is covered in theConverting simple XML to advanced XMLsection.