Get started guide for Splunk Observability Cloud admins

The journey for getting started with Splunk Observability Cloud has 3 phases: set up access, set up data collection, and expand usage. In the first phase, you set up users, teams, and access controls using roles and token management and lay the groundwork for connectivity. Next, you get your data into Splunk Observability Cloud and set up the Splunk Observability Cloud products for your initial project team use cases. In the final phase, you establish repeatable observability practices using automation, data management, detectors, and dashboards.

How to use this guide

  • Use the following table to get a high-level overview of the primary setup steps involved in each phase.

  • Use the links for each step to go directly to the detailed instructions or go to the phase topic to view all phase steps in detail.

  • In the table, you can also reference optional and advanced configurations that you can make to your setup as part of each phase of your journey.

  • Use the links to education resources for each phase to ensure you have the foundational knowledge and skills to successfully set up Splunk Observability Cloud.

Note: This guide is for Splunk Observability Cloud users with the admin role.
Flow showing the 3 phases of the get started journey: set up access, set up data collection, and expand usage.

Information type

Phase 1: Set up access

Phase 2: Set up data collection

Phase 3: Expand usage

Phase description

Set up users, teams, and access controls through roles and token management and lay the groundwork for connectivity

Bring data in and set up the Splunk Observability Cloud products for your initial project team use cases

Increase usage across all user teams and establish repeatable observability practices through automation, data management, detectors, and dashboards

Primary setup steps

  1. Create a trial for your organization

  2. Analyze your network communication and access requirements

  3. Decide how to manage user access

  4. Plan your team structure and token management strategy to control access

See Get started guide phase 1: Set up access for detailed steps.

  1. Select an initial rollout environment to get data in

  2. Set up Splunk Infrastructure Monitoring

  3. Set up Splunk Application Performance Monitoring (APM)

  4. Set up Splunk Real User Monitoring (RUM)

  5. Set up Splunk Synthetic Monitoring

See Get started guide phase 2: Set up data collection for detailed steps.

  1. Add Splunk Observability Cloud to your deployment pipeline

  2. Automate the token rotation process

  3. Use metrics pipeline management tools to reduce cardinality of metric time series (MTS)

  4. Review metric names and ingested data

  5. Build custom dashboards and detectors

  6. Onboard all users and teams

See Get started guide phase 3: Expand usage for detailed steps.

Optional and advanced configurations

See Phase 1 optional and advanced configurations.

See Phase 2 optional and advanced configurations.

See Phase 3 optional and advanced configurations.

Education resources