Splunk Search

Security Key in server.conf

nawazns5038
Builder

what is the diff between the security key in the clustering stanza and the key in the general stanza in server.conf ?

Should the same key be used for both the shcluster and the indexer cluster ?

Tags (1)
0 Karma
1 Solution

horsefez
Motivator

Hi,

so the server.conf general key is a unique key that get's generated on first startup. It will be "salted" with a server unique value. Don't use this one for clustering.

For indexer clustering you should use an identical passphrase on all servers.
Something like: "applepie" ... which then after a restart gets converted into a hash using the server unique "salt" again.

You can use a different one for SH-Cluster, but you don't have to.

The important part is that you don't copy the "hashed" value... you should manually set the cleartext password and then restart the system.

View solution in original post

horsefez
Motivator

Hi,

so the server.conf general key is a unique key that get's generated on first startup. It will be "salted" with a server unique value. Don't use this one for clustering.

For indexer clustering you should use an identical passphrase on all servers.
Something like: "applepie" ... which then after a restart gets converted into a hash using the server unique "salt" again.

You can use a different one for SH-Cluster, but you don't have to.

The important part is that you don't copy the "hashed" value... you should manually set the cleartext password and then restart the system.

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!

Splunk Add-on for Microsoft Windows 11.0.3: Parse Once, Search Faster

The updated Splunk Add-on for Microsoft Windows helps customers search Windows events faster by reducing ...

What's New in Splunk Enterprise Security 8.8 and Beyond

Threats move at machine speed. Keeping up should not depend on having the biggest budget, the largest team, or ...

A Four-Part Event Series: State of Observability - Where AI Meets Performance

As AI agents take on more complex tasks, teams need greater visibility into how they behave, what they cost, ...