topic Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field in Getting Data In

Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

NaraSplunk — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 14:48:52 GMT

Add a token for HTTP requeste and run btool:
splunk btool check --debug

You'll get this error:

Checking: /opt/splunk/etc/apps/splunk_httpinput/local/inputs.conf
        Invalid key in stanza [http://splunk_machine_du_output] in /opt/splunk/etc/apps/splunk_httpinput/local/inputs.conf, line 8: description  (value:  xyz).
    Did you mean 'disabled'?

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

jplumsdaine22 — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 15:06:28 GMT

What does the stanza [http://splunk_machine_du_output] look like?

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

jeffland — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 08:34:08 GMT

I can recreate this if I create an input as well and use characters such as á (or ä, ß). I'm guessing you have such characters in your description because "splunk_machine_du_output" sounds french to me.

This isn't exactly a problem though, splunk should work fine regardless.

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

dougmartin — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 08:36:44 GMT

[http://splunk_machine_du_output]
disabled = 0 index = disk_space_index
indexes = disk_space_index source =
splunk_box sourcetype = our_sourcetype
token =
20202020-4242-4343-4343-434334343434
description = xyz

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

dougmartin — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 19:53:19 GMT

false errors, is never NOT a problem 🙂

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

jeffland — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 10:31:20 GMT

Right - let me rephrase that: this is an annoyance and you could call it a bug, but it should not interfere with splunk operating properly.

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

jplumsdaine22 — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 16:05:49 GMT

You don't reckon she means the command du ?

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

dougmartin — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 16:13:40 GMT

Yes du refers to the *nix du command.

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

jplumsdaine22 — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 16:40:04 GMT

As jeffland says make sure ther are no special characters in the description field

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

dougmartin — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 16:53:00 GMT

It's xyz. Nothing special.

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

jplumsdaine22 — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 17:48:03 GMT

description is not a valid field for inputs.conf

Have a look at this: http://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/latest/Admin/Inputsconf for available keys.

Try removing it and running btool again

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

dougmartin — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 18:08:59 GMT

Right. The problem is the web UI sticks the description in there.

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

jeffland — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 07:28:04 GMT

Ah. Yeah, that makes sense... not my strongest moment apparently.

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

jplumsdaine22 — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 14:02:09 GMT

I have replicated your issue. You are correct the UI does add the description to the inputs.conf, and then btool throws an invalid key warning.

Definitely something for Splunk to take a look at in a future release, but it shouldn't have any impact on your server other than the warning message

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

gblock_splunk — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 04:47:25 GMT

description is valid for a token stanza of HTTP Event Collector. It looks like the issue is that inputs.conf.spec is missing the entry. I'll get this fixed.

Your stanza looks correct and should work fine. For example here is a stanza on my box that properly displays the description in the UI.

Sorry for the confusion.

Re: Creating an HTTP Event Collector input generates "invalid key in stanza" error when running btool on the description field

gblock_splunk — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 04:48:39 GMT

Just checked and we already fixed this in the next version and it is also fixed now in Splunk Cloud.

Here is the entry in inputs.conf.spec

description =
* Human-readable description of this token.
* Defaults to empty string.