How do you use Splunk search to search for installed software on Windows server logs?

[intern_jos]

How do you use Splunk search to search for installed software on Windows server logs?

[jkat54 · Accepted solution]

If you're looking for events within the application log, you need to configure application log inputs first.

http://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/6.2.0/Data/MonitorWindowsdata

You may also find this app useful:
https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/742/

Because it contains a script for pulling installed applications called win_installed_apps.bat

[intern_jos]

Thank you for introducing the add on app! I also managed to find out a way to use event code to do the search. The add on is a good idea too!

[jkat54]

FYI, you can always write a powershell scripted input that you deploy to your universal forwarders. You need to pull registry keys to get the correct list of software. Application Log only has successful / failed installs that were designed to log to the Application Log. That covers about 20% of all the software out there ;-), registry keys have the add/remove programs list and usually some more. The registry and app log dont cover .exe files downloaded from the internet, software that runs from CDs, batch scripts, user written code, etc.