Getting Data In

forwarder, syslog & blacklist

tinkster
Explorer

I installed the splunkforwarder on a few machines, and added /var/log as a syslog source. I overlooked the fact that there's freeradius accounting data in one of the subdirectories that I really don't want in splunk.

How do I get rid of it?

How do I tell the forwarder to ignore the subdirectory /var/log/freeradius/radacct and its subdirectories?

Tags (2)
0 Karma

MuS
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

Hi tinkster,

use a blacklist in your monitor stanza in inputs.conf like this

blacklist = /var/log/freeradius/radacct

If blacklist is set and the files path matches the specified regex from this input, they are NOT monitored.

hope this helps ...

cheers, MuS

0 Karma

MuS
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

btw the entry in blacklist is a regex and will be treated as such. In your case it tries to match /var/log/freeradius/radacct/.* if you still encounter problems remove the .* at the end

0 Karma

MuS
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

Yes, delete will no delete event from the index - they are only marked as 'unsearchable'.
clean will remove all events from a given index.
You can find your options in this http://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/6.1/Indexer/RemovedatafromSplunk doc

0 Karma

tinkster
Explorer

Thanks for this part of the answer - this is what I did; specifically, blacklist = /var/log/freeradius/radacct/.*.

Now - how do I get the accidentally indexed data deleted? The search | delete seems to stop the data from showing up in searches, but the diskspace didn't get reclaimed.

I don't quite understand whether "clean" will only cull unwanted index entries, or ALL index entries.

0 Karma
Got questions? Get answers!

Join the Splunk Community Slack to learn, troubleshoot, and make connections with fellow Splunk practitioners in real time!

Meet up IRL or virtually!

Join Splunk User Groups to connect and learn in-person by region or remotely by topic or industry.

Get Updates on the Splunk Community!

Your Path to AgenticOps: AI Experiences for Every Splunk Practitioner

Your Path to AgenticOps: AI Experiences for Every Splunk Practitioner   Watch on demand us for a demo-driven ...

The Data Connection - October 2026

We all have data. Lots of it. But that’s not the problem – it’s understanding what we should we do with it, ...

Beyond the Acceleration Zone: Maximizing Your Success with Splunk Customer Experience ...

Customer success is built on tailored guidance and accessible resources. As a Splunk user, you are encouraged ...