• Supported tags
• Introduction
  • Version
• Installation
• Quick Start
• Configuration
  • Data Store
  • User
  • Ports
  • Entrypoint
  • Hostname
  • Basic configuration using Environment Variables
    • Example
• Upgrade from previous version

Current branch:

• 9.2.1.1,latest
• 9.0.1.1
• 7.0.2.1
• 6.5.2.1
• 6.5.0.3,6.5.0.2,6.5.0.1
• 6.4.0.1
• 6.3.3, 6.3.2

For previous versions or newest releases see other branches.

• 9.2.1.1: Latest: Upgrade to Splunk 9.2.1
• 9.0.2.1: Upgrade to Splunk 9.0.2
• 7.0.2.1: Upgrade to Splunk 7.0.2
• 6.5.2.1: Upgrade to Splunk 6.5.2
• 6.5.0.3: Small fix on the execution of commands creating /home/splunk

Dockerfiles to build Splunk

Pull the image from docker hub.

docker pull ffquintella/docker-splunk

Alternately you can build the image locally.

git clone https://github.com/ffquintella/docker-splunk.git
cd docker-splunk
./build.sh

To manually start Splunk Enterprise container

docker run --hostname splunk -p 8000:8000 -d ffquintella/docker-splunk

This docker image has two data volumes /opt/splunk/etc and /opt/splunk/var (See Data Store). To avoid losing any data when container is stopped/deleted mount these volumes from docker volume containers (see Managing data in containers)

docker run --name vsplunk -v /opt/splunk/etc -v /opt/splunk/var busybox
docker run --hostname splunk --name splunk --volumes-from=vsplunk -p 8000:8000 -d ffquintella/docker-splunk

This image has two data volumes

• /opt/splunk/etc - stores Splunk configurations, including applications and lookups
• /opt/splunk/var - stores indexed data, logs and internal Splunk data

Splunk processes are running under splunk user.

Next ports are exposed

• 8000/tcp - Splunk Web interface (Splunk Enterprise and Splunk Light)
• 8089/tcp - Splunk Services (All Splunk products)
• 8191/tcp - Application KV Store (Splunk Enterprise)
• 9997/tcp - Splunk Indexing Port (not used by default) (Splunk Enterprise)
• 1514 - Network Input (not used by default) (All Splunk products)
• 8088 - HTTP Event Collector

We are using 1514 instead of standard 514 syslog port because ports below 1024 are reserved for root access only. See Run Splunk Enterprise as a different or non-root user.

You can execute Splunk commands by using

docker exec splunk entrypoint.sh splunk version

Splunk is launched in background. Which means that when Splunk restarts (after some configuration changes) - the container will not be affected.

It is recommended to specify hostname for this image, so if you will recreate Splunk instance you will keep the same hostname.

Some basic configurations are allowed to configure Indexers/Forwarders using environment variables. For more advanced configurations please use your own configuration files or deployment server.

• SPLUNK_ENABLE_DEPLOY_SERVER='true' - enable deployment server on Indexer.
  • Available: splunk image only.
• SPLUNK_DEPLOYMENT_SERVER='<servername>:<port> - configure deployment client. Set deployment server url.
  • Example: --env SPLUNK_DEPLOYMENT_SERVER='splunkdeploymentserver:8089'.
  • Available: splunk and forwarder images only.
• SPLUNK_ENABLE_LISTEN=<port> - enable receiving.
  • Additional configuration is available using SPLUNK_ENABLE_LISTEN_ARGS environment variable.
  • Available: splunk and light images only.
• SPLUNK_FORWARD_SERVER=<servername>:<port> - forward data to indexer.
  • Additional configuration is available using SPLUNK_FORWARD_SERVER_ARGS environment variable.
  • Additional forwarders can be set up using SPLUNK_FORWARD_SERVER_<1..30> and SPLUNK_FORWARD_SERVER_<1..30>_ARGS.
  • Example: --env SPLUNK_FORWARD_SERVER='splunkindexer:9997' --env SPLUNK_FORWARD_SERVER_ARGS='method clone' --env SPLUNK_FORWARD_SERVER_1='splunkindexer2:9997' --env SPLUNK_FORWARD_SERVER_1_ARGS='-method clone'.
  • Available: splunk and forwarder images only.
• SPLUNK_ADD='<monitor|add> <what_to_monitor|what_to_add>' - execute add command, for example to monitor files or listen on specific ports.
  • Additional add commands can be executed (up to 30) using SPLUNK_ADD_<1..30>.
  • Example --env SPLUNK_ADD='udp 1514' --env SPLUNK_ADD_1='monitor /var/log/*'.
  • Available: all images.
• SPLUNK_CMD='any splunk command' - execute any splunk command.
  • Additional commands can be executed (up to 30) using SPLUNK_CMD_<1..30>.
  • Example --env SPLUNK_CMD='edit user admin -password random_password -role admin -auth admin:changeme'.

This is just a simple example to show how configuration works, do not consider it as a best practice example.

> echo "Creating docker network, so all containers will see each other"
> docker network create splunk
> echo "Starting deployment server for forwarders"
> docker run -d --net splunk \
    --hostname splunkdeploymentserver \
    --name splunkdeploymentserver \
    --publish 8000 \
    --env SPLUNK_ENABLE_DEPLOY_SERVER=true \
    outcoldman/splunk
> echo "Starting indexer 1"
> docker run -d --net splunk \
    --hostname splunkindexer1 \
    --name splunkindexer1 \
    --publish 8000 \
    --env SPLUNK_ENABLE_LISTEN=9997 \
    outcoldman/splunk
> echo "Starging indexer 2"
> docker run --rm --net splunk \
    --hostname splunkindexer2 \
    --name splunkindexer2 \
    --publish 8000 \
    --env SPLUNK_ENABLE_LISTEN=9997 \
    outcoldman/splunk
> echo "Starting forwarder, which forwards data to 2 indexers by cloning events"
> docker run -d --net splunk \
    --name forwarder \
    --hostname forwarder \
    --env SPLUNK_FORWARD_SERVER='splunkindexer1:9997' \
    --env SPLUNK_FORWARD_SERVER_ARGS='-method clone' \
    --env SPLUNK_FORWARD_SERVER_1="splunkindexer2:9997" \
    --env SPLUNK_FORWARD_SERVER_1_ARGS="-method clone" \
    --env SPLUNK_ADD='udp 1514' \
    --env SPLUNK_DEPLOYMENT_SERVER='splunkdeploymentserver:8089' \
    outcoldman/splunk:forwarder

After that you will be able to forward syslog data to the udp port of container forwarder (we do not publish port, so only from internal containers). You should see all the data on both indexers. Also you should see forwarder registered with deployment server.

Upgrade example below

# Use data volume container to persist data between upgrades
docker run --name vsplunk -v /opt/splunk/etc -v /opt/splunk/var busybox
# Start old version of Splunk
docker run --hostname splunk --name splunk --volumes-from=vsplunk -p 8000:8000 -d outcoldman/splunk:6.2.3
# Stop Splunk  container
docker stop splunk
# Remove Splunk  container
docker rm -v splunk
# Start Splunk container with new version
docker run --hostname splunk --name splunk --volumes-from=vsplunk -p 8000:8000 -d outcoldman/splunk:6.3.2