Splunk is a great platform for analyzing, searching, and visualizing huge amounts of information. Among the main features of Splunk is its capability to do complex queries on information stored in a platform. This enables users to easily and quickly get the details they require. Let’s find out how you can use Splunk queries to look for and analyze information.
Creating a Query
The easiest way to form a query in Splunk is by utilizing the search bar locates at the top of its interface. To form a basic query you need to key in a few phrases or keywords which you need to search for. After that, you can press the “Enter” key or click on the “Search” button. By default, Splunk returns results for the past 24 hours although you can also specify a customized time range by using the “Time Range” picker found at your interface’s top right.
For instance, when you need to search for every event which contains the word “error,” you just need to type the word “error” at the search bar and click search or press “Enter.” Splunk will return all the events containing the word “error.”
Advanced Query Syntax
Since basic queries are important for quickly getting data, more advanced query syntax is important for a complex search.
Advanced query syntax:
- Boolean Operators: Splunk allows the use of Boolean operators like “AND”, “NOT”, and “OR” to exclude or combine search terms. For instance, to search for every event which has the word “error” and the phrase “warning”, you need to use the query “error AND warning”
- Field Search: To look for a specific field, one can utilize the “field_name=value” syntax. For instance, to search for every event with a field named “status” with “error,” values you should use the query “status=error”.
- Wildcards: To utilize wildcard characters in a search, one can utilize the “” or “?” symbol. For instance, to search for every event which contains the word “error” followed by any number of characters, one would utilize the query “error”
- Regular Expressions: To utilize regular expressions in a search, one can utilize the “/regex/” syntax. For instance, to look for every event which contains a string of digits, one would utilize the query “/\d+/”
- Parentheses: To group the search terms, one can utilize parentheses. For instance, when searching for all events which contain the word “warning” or “error” and the term “security,” you would utilize the query “(error OR warning) AND security”
Using Search Operators
Splunk supports a variety of search operators that can be used to refine and filter search results. Some of the most commonly used operators include:
- AND: Returns results that match both terms. For example, “error AND warning” will return results that include both “error” and “warning.”
- OR: Returns results that match either term. For example, “error OR warning” will return results that include either “error” or “warning.”
- NOT: Exclude results that match the term. For example, “error NOT warning” will return results that include “error” but not “warning.”
You can also use wildcard characters to match multiple variations of a term. For example, “err*” will return results that include “error,” “errors,” “erroneous,” and so on.
Saving and Sharing Searches
Once you’ve created a search that returns the results you required, you can save it for coming use. To save a search, just click the “Save As” button found at the top right of your interface and give a name for the saved search. In addition, you can then get the saved search every time by clicking the “Saved” tab located at the top right of your interface.
Furthermore, one can also share the saved searches with different users by clicking the “Share” button found at the top right of the interface. This generates a link that can be shared with others, hence enabling them to access the saved search plus view the findings.
Using Fields
Splunk organizes information into fields, which are pieces of information that can be searched & analyzed separately. For instance, a log message may have a field for log level, a field for timestamp, and a field for the message text. By default, Splunk auto-extract fields from the information although you can also create a custom field plus extract them from the information.
To view fields in your data, you need to click the “Fields” button found at the top right of your interface. This opens the “Fields” sidebar which shows all of the fields inside your data. After that use the search bar located at the top of the sidebar to look for specific fields plus add them to your search.
Using Visualizations
Once you’ve located the information you need, you can utilize Splunk’s visualization capabilities to make charts, tables, plus other visual data representations. To form a visualization, click the “Visualize” button found at the top right of the interface. This opens the “Visualization” sidebar, hence you will be able to choose from different visualization types, including line charts, bar charts, and pie charts.
Using Search Timeline
Splunk’s search timeline is a significant feature that enables you to view the distribution of the search results over time. To utilize the search timeline just click on “Timeline” and Splunk will show a graph displaying your search outcomes over time.
The search timeline enables one to view patterns and trends in one’s data hence, it’s useful for finding when some issues or events occur.
Save and Share Query
After forming a query, you can opt to save it for future usage or share it with others. To successfully save a query, click on the “Save As” button, and enter the name of the query. Moreover, to share a query, click on the “Share” button in the search bar, then enter the email addresses of the person you want to share the query with.
Conclusion
Splunk’s query language, SPL, enables one to search plus filter the information stored in the platform. The easiest method of creating a query is to utilize the search bar located at the top of your interface and enter phrases or keywords.
