Splunk has been at the forefront of data analytics, enabling businesses to harness the power of their machine data. With the 9.1 update, Splunk Cloud Administration introduces several enhancements and experience differences, specifically targeting the Splunk cloud Victoria vs Classic Experiences.

In this blog, we will explore the differences, capabilities, and advantages of managing Splunk Cloud in the latest version.

Experience Differences: Splunk Cloud Victoria vs Classic

Splunk Cloud introduces two types of experiences:

Splunk Cloud Victoria Experience: The newer, enhanced version offering self-service capabilities.
Splunk Cloud Classic Experience: The legacy version, requiring greater dependency on Splunk Support for certain operations.

Feature	Victoria Experience	Classic Experience
HEC Configuration	Self-managed via Splunk Web and Admin Config Service (ACS).	Managed through Splunk Classic endpoints.
Inputs Data Manager	No need for IDM; inputs can run directly on the search tier.	IDM is necessary for some modular inputs.
Self-Service Management	More functionality, including premium app installations.	Limited functionality, with Splunk Support dependency.
Customer Encryption	Available for secure key management.	Not applicable.
Service Limits	Higher soft/hard limits (Active indexes up to 1000).	Lower limits (Active indexes capped at 400).

The Splunk Cloud Victoria Experience is designed to minimize bottlenecks by enabling customers to take more control over their configurations and scaling.

Enhanced Input Management

With the Splunk Cloud Victoria Experience:

Inputs can be directly managed on the search tier without requiring an Inputs Data Manager (IDM).
Modular or scripted inputs are simplified, reducing infrastructure dependency and improving data ingestion efficiency.

For customers using the Classic Experience, IDM or on-prem Heavy Forwarders are still essential for managing modular inputs.

Clustering and Replication Improvements

Splunk Cloud 9.1 enhances clustering performance and reduces scaling challenges:

Cluster Management: Replication of data across clusters is streamlined, avoiding common bottlenecks.
Splunk Cloud Victoria Experience users benefit from more robust and scalable clustering solutions compared to the Classic setup.

This improvement ensures smoother operations for organizations scaling their Splunk environment with growing data volumes.

Self-Service Capabilities

One of the standout enhancements in the 9.1 version is self-service functionality. Admins can now:

Install premium apps seamlessly without support intervention.
Manage their environment with greater control and fewer limitations.

This shift aligns with Splunk’s vision to empower admins while reducing dependency on Splunk Support for routine tasks.

Encryption and Security

Security remains a priority with Splunk Cloud 9.1:

The Splunk Cloud Victoria Experience now supports customer-managed encryption keys, giving admins the flexibility to ensure data security on their terms.
This feature is unavailable in the Classic Experience, marking another advantage for Victoria users.

Scaling Service Limits

Organizations managing large data sets will appreciate the increased service limits in the Victoria Experience:

Active Indexes: Up to 1,000 (soft limit), compared to 400 in the Classic Experience.
Many other hard and soft limits have been improved to accommodate enterprise-grade deployments.

These enhancements ensure that Splunk Cloud remains performant and scalable as data demands grow.

Conclusion

The Splunk Cloud Administration 9.1 update is a game-changer for organizations leveraging Splunk for data insights. By offering a superior experience with Victoria, Splunk has streamlined input management, clustering, and security while enhancing self-service capabilities.

If you’re currently on the Splunk Cloud Classic Experience, it may be the perfect time to explore a transition to Splunk Cloud Victoria for greater flexibility, scalability, and control.

Looking to optimize your Splunk Cloud environment? Reach out for expert tips on leveraging the Victoria Experience and maximizing your Splunk setup!

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