Splunk Connect for OTLP 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

• Deploy the OTLP modular input, expose OTLP gRPC/HTTP listeners, configure OTel SDK or Collector senders to Splunk Platform, verify HEC token/index routing, or troubleshoot Splunk Connect for OTLP.
• Preview and review the splunk connect for otlp 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-connect-for-otlp-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-connect-for-otlp-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

Shared add-on completion gate

Whenever this workflow installs, configures, or hands off a registry-listed Splunk app or add-on, follow the shared completion gate. Package delivery alone is not success; capture applicable configuration, ingest/readiness, and shipped-view evidence, or explicit package evidence that no dashboards ship.

Use this skill for the full lifecycle of Splunk Connect for OTLP, the Splunk Platform modular input that accepts OTLP logs, metrics, and traces and emits HEC-shaped events through Splunk modular-input stdout.

Safety Rules

• Never ask for HEC token values in chat.
• Never pass token values as argv, URL query strings, or environment-variable prefixes.
• Token creation and updates are delegated to splunk-hec-service-setup.
• Use local token files for sender examples, for example:

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

Known Package Facts

The audited release is Splunkbase app 8704, package/app ID splunk-connect-for-otlp, version 0.4.1, compatible with Splunk 9.4 through 10.5.

That platform-version list is not Cloud install approval. The public release API reports cloud_compatible=false, install_method_single=rejected, and install_method_distributed=rejected. Do not install 8704 on a Victoria search tier through ACS. Splunk Cloud 10.5 can be the data destination while the receiver runs on a customer-managed heavy forwarder or an IDM placement explicitly approved and coordinated by Splunk Support.

The inspected package contains only conf/UI metadata plus platform binaries:

• default/app.conf
• default/inputs.conf
• default/props.conf
• default/data/ui/manager/splunk-connect-for-otlp.xml
• metadata/default.meta
• README/inputs.conf.spec
• linux_x86_64/bin/splunk-connect-for-otlp
• windows_x86_64/bin/splunk-connect-for-otlp

There is no dashboard, setup page, KV Store collection, saved search, custom REST handler, Python runtime, Darwin binary, or default bin/ executable.

Primary Workflow

1. On a customer-managed Splunk Enterprise search tier or heavy forwarder, install or update the app through the shared installer:

bash skills/splunk-connect-for-otlp-setup/scripts/setup.sh --install

2. Prepare or verify a HEC token with splunk-hec-service-setup; keep the token value in a local file.

3. Configure the modular input:

bash skills/splunk-connect-for-otlp-setup/scripts/setup.sh \
  --configure-input \
  --input-name otlp-main \
  --index otlp_events \
  --grpc-port 4317 \
  --http-port 4318 \
  --listen-address 0.0.0.0 \
  --enable-ssl true \
  --server-cert /opt/splunk/etc/auth/otlp/server.pem \
  --server-key /opt/splunk/etc/auth/otlp/server.key

Receiver and sender TLS default to enabled. A non-loopback plaintext listener or sender is rejected unless the operator supplies --accept-insecure-plaintext-listener; reserve that exception for an isolated, short-lived lab.

4. Render sender assets:

bash skills/splunk-connect-for-otlp-setup/scripts/setup.sh \
  --render-sender-config \
  --receiver-host otlp-hf.example.com \
  --expected-index otlp_events \
  --hec-token-file /tmp/splunk_otlp_hec_token

5. Validate the deployment:

bash skills/splunk-connect-for-otlp-setup/scripts/validate.sh \
  --expected-index otlp_events \
  --input-name otlp-main

6. Diagnose and render conservative repair guidance:

bash skills/splunk-connect-for-otlp-setup/scripts/setup.sh --doctor

--repair returns nonzero when a requested fix can only render a HEC or sender handoff. Run the rendered handoff, validate the resulting state, and rerun the repair/validation workflow; a rendered packet is not reported as a completed live repair.

Cloud And Topology

Use the split-runtime model:

• Splunk Cloud Victoria and Classic: do not ACS-install app 8704 on the managed search tier. The listing rejects both Cloud install methods.
• Default to a customer-managed heavy forwarder with explicit firewall, load balancer, TLS, HEC allowed-index, and onward Splunk Cloud routing validation.
• An IDM placement is valid only after Splunk Support explicitly approves and coordinates it; do not model that as self-service ACS installation.
• The setup script refuses install, uninstall, input configuration, and repair mutations when the active credentials resolve to a managed Cloud profile. Read-only validation/doctor and sender/HEC handoff rendering remain safe.
• The skill remains conditional for Cloud 10.5 because Cloud is a supported destination for events emitted by the customer-managed/approved receiver.

OTLP Sender Contract

• gRPC receiver endpoint: host:4317
• HTTP receiver endpoints:
  • http(s)://host:4318/v1/logs
  • http(s)://host:4318/v1/metrics
  • http(s)://host:4318/v1/traces
• Auth header: Authorization: Splunk <HEC_TOKEN>
• Attribute mapping:
  • com.splunk.index -> Splunk index
  • com.splunk.sourcetype -> Splunk sourcetype
  • com.splunk.source -> Splunk source
  • host.name -> Splunk host

The rendered telemetrygen helper intentionally exits nonzero because its OTLP header option would expose the HEC token in process arguments. Use the rendered Collector or SDK profile for an actionable, file-backed sender path.

Render explicit com.splunk.index sender configuration and smoke-test routing before claiming default-index behavior. The inspected 0.4.1 binary validates token allowed indexes but does not pass the HEC token default index into the exporter path.

Read reference.md for REST endpoints, repair IDs, package caveats, and sender configuration details.