What should the syntax be for an exclusion list in inputs.conf?

In Splunk's configuration files, specifically inputs.conf, the proper syntax for setting an exclusion list is critical for ensuring that certain file types or patterns are ignored during data ingestion. The correct syntax utilizes the ignore attribute followed by a regular expression, which allows you to specify file types you want to exclude based on patterns.

In this context, the use of ignore = \.tmp$ effectively directs Splunk to ignore any files that end with the .tmp extension. The regular expression \.tmp$ is designed to match any string that ends with .tmp, where the backslash escapes the dot, making it a literal character instead of a wildcard.

Understanding this syntax is essential for managing data ingestion efficiently. The other suggestions do not adhere to the correct configuration conventions used by Splunk. For instance, exclude is not a recognized keyword in this context, while banlist and forbidden are also not standard options for defining an exclusion list in inputs.conf. Thus, the use of ignore with the appropriate regex pattern makes it the correct and effective choice for creating an exclusion list.