Splunk Core Certified User Practice Exam

What does the `rare` command return in Splunk?

1. Most common field values

2. All distinct field values

3. Least common field values

4. Field values sorted alphabetically

The correct answer is: Least common field values

The `rare` command in Splunk is designed to identify and return the least common values of a specified field. When you apply the `rare` command, it will display values that occur infrequently within the data set. This can be particularly useful in analyzing outliers or less typical entries in your logs, which might be important for specific investigations or understanding anomalies. The other options describe different functionalities. For example, identifying the most common values would typically involve the `top` command, and retrieving all distinct values would be associated with the `distinct_count` command or using stats. Sorting field values alphabetically is not what the `rare` command does, as its primary function is to highlight infrequent occurrences rather than organize or display all values. The key takeaway is that `rare` focuses on the values that are least often encountered, making it a valuable tool for uncovering less obvious insights in your data.