Splunk Add-on for AWS Setup

Prerequisites

Tool or access	Purpose	Verify
Bash and Python 3	Run bundled setup and validation helpers	bash --version && python3 --version
Required product/platform access	Inspect or configure the selected target	Complete the documented preflight
Credential files for live modes	Keep secrets out of chat	Verify paths only

Workflow Overview

┌───────────┐   ┌───────────────┐   ┌───────────────┐   ┌─────────────────┐
│ Preflight │ → │ Render/review │ → │ Apply/handoff │ → │ Validate evidence │
└───────────┘   └───────────────┘   └───────────────┘   └─────────────────┘

When to Activate

• Splunk_TA_aws, the Splunk Add-on for AWS, CloudTrail, AWS Config, or GuardDuty log ingestion, SQS-based S3 inputs, or a manual AWS TA configuration alternative to Data Manager.
• Preview and review the splunk aws ta setup workflow before any live apply phase.
• Diagnose failed prerequisites, generated assets, configuration, or validation evidence.

Scope

Follow the documented read-only or render-first path whenever it is available. This skill does not imply permission to mutate live systems. Require explicit apply flags, protected credentials, and operator review for state changes.

Examples

Inspect the supported setup modes before selecting one:

bash skills/splunk-aws-ta-setup/scripts/setup.sh --help

Expected output: usage, supported modes, and required arguments are displayed without changing the target environment.

Inspect validation modes before running completion checks:

bash skills/splunk-aws-ta-setup/scripts/validate.sh --help

Expected output: offline, live, and completion options are displayed when the skill supports them; help exits without mutation.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Resolution
Preflight fails	A required tool or access path is missing	Resolve it before rendering or applying
Rendered assets are incomplete	Required non-secret inputs are absent	Complete intake and render again
Apply is blocked	Review, credentials, or explicit acceptance is missing	Use the documented handoff
Validation is incomplete	Live evidence is unavailable	Record the gap and keep completion open

TA Completion Gate

For every TA/add-on or dashboard companion run, satisfy the shared TA completion gate: configure and enable the data ingest path owned by this skill or its required companion, validate events or metrics in the target indexes/source types, and verify any pre-built/package-shipped dashboards are visible, macro-aligned, and returning data. If the package ships no dashboards, record that evidence explicitly and hand off dashboard use to the consuming app, ES/ITSI/ARI content, or readiness doctor.

Render-first automation for the Splunk Add-on for AWS (Splunk_TA_aws, Splunkbase 1876). This is the manual TA configuration path: it renders the real modular-input stanzas, an account-setup runbook, and the index plan, then validates ingestion. For fully automated CloudFormation/StackSet onboarding, use splunk-cloud-data-manager-setup instead.

The add-on runs on the search tier or a dedicated heavy forwarder (it needs the full Splunk Python runtime and is not Universal-Forwarder safe).

Feeds

Feed	Modular input	Source type
CloudTrail	aws_sqs_based_s3 (decoder CloudTrail)	aws:cloudtrail
AWS Config	aws_config	aws:config
GuardDuty	aws_sqs_based_s3 (decoder CustomLogs)	aws:cloudwatch:guardduty

Credentials

Never paste an AWS secret key in chat or argv. Prefer an IAM role on the collector host (no stored secret). For access-key mode, write the secret to a local file and configure the account in the add-on Configuration tab:

bash skills/shared/scripts/write_secret_file.sh /tmp/aws_secret_key

See the rendered account-setup.md for both modes.

Workflow

1. Render reviewable assets (offline):

bash skills/splunk-aws-ta-setup/scripts/setup.sh --render \
  --index aws --account-name aws_prod --sqs-region us-east-1

2. Install the add-on and create the index:

bash skills/splunk-aws-ta-setup/scripts/setup.sh --install --create-index --index aws

3. Configure the AWS account (IAM role or access key) using account-setup.md, then enable the rendered inputs in the add-on.

4. Validate:

bash skills/splunk-aws-ta-setup/scripts/validate.sh --index aws

5. Score post-ingest readiness:

bash skills/splunk-data-source-readiness-doctor/scripts/setup.sh \
  --phase collect --source-pack aws_cloudtrail

See reference.md for the full input/account model, source types, CIM mapping, placement guardrails, and the Data Manager comparison.