That’s what my Splunk Architect Certification lab felt like, but it was 24 hours, in a Las Vegas hotel, no sleep, & substitute chicken tenders for cigarettes. Although i did wear sunglasses during one part. It made me feel cool… Don’t ask.

 

This time last year i was not even Splunk SE 1. Just last week I completed the Splunk Certified Architect. And let me tell you, it was the most strenuous exam I’ve taken since engineering school. Make sure you know your stuff and are prepared.

 

Okay, let’s get down to it. You’re hear to know what you need to study for the Splunk Certified Architect exam. While I can’t give you specifics, i can give you information to help you stay sane during this 24 hour marathon.

 

 

Use what they say as a study guide. Go deploy an environment similar to what the description lists. Staying comfortable and confident is half the battle.

 

Here are some takeaways from it…

 

Have a solid internet connection – I was staying at the Luxor and the internet was spotty at best. I often would lose connectivity in the middle of a script or command and have to fight that. A lot of wasted time was spent around fixing the internet and getting everything connected.

 

Be familiar with your ssh client – I used vSSH and loved it. I was able to store the username, password, and IP with it. That made reconnecting a lot easier. Get familiar with it before the test though. Just like you wouldn’t use new shoes to run a marathon, don’t use new tools during an exam.

 

Be familiar with Splunk Documentation – This is an open book test. It will be tough. You have the internet as a resource, use it. Make sure you know where helpful documentation lives and be able to quickly refer to it.

 

Real Estate is key – Try to have a secondary display or a second laptop available. This will make it easier to have your terminal screen, your Splunk GUI, and your reference documentation easily readable.

 

Get a solid night’s slep – This will be taxing. Get some good sleep. Try not to stay up all night. I took a few hour nap in the middle of the night and that helped with my critical thinking.

 

Set your Out of Office – DONT TURN ON EMAIL. Now is not the time to be a hero at work. Your job is to focus on this for the next 24 hours. Nothing Else.

 

Take a break – Stuck on a puzzle? Walk away for a bit. Chat with a coworker or friend. Step outside for a second. You’ll be amazed at what changing up your environment will do for you.

 

Stay positive – You are your biggest critic. Make sure you have someone cheering you on. But don’t use them for help. That’s cheating.

 

These are all things that helped me succeed. I know there are more tips for success out there. Please share yours below.

 

Best of luck and happy Splunking!
-Kyle