In Splunk, an index refers to a repository of information used to organize and store events. The index is utilized to analyze, search, and visualize information in Splunk. The “main” index is the default index in Splunk.
What is an Index in Splunk?
As said earlier, an index in Splunk is a repository that holds the information collected and kept by Splunk. The information is kept in a structured format making it simple to search, visualize and analyze. Furthermore, the index is also utilized to categorize and organize information depending on specific criteria including time plus event type.
Every index in Splunk features its own set of configuration files plus settings. These settings are the information retention policy, which decides how long information is kept in the index, plus the indexing settings. All these determine how information is stored and indexed.
The Main Index
The default index is the main index in Splunk. It’s the index that is created when Splunk is installed. The main index is utilized to store every piece of information that’s collected by Splunk unless a distinct index is specified.
Furthermore, the main index also stores the default settings plus configurations for every other index in Splunk. These configurations and settings include indexing settings, information retention policy, and other global configurations.
Creating Additional Indexes
Users can also form extra indexes in Splunk. These extra indexes can be formed to store specific kinds of information or to improve performance. For instance, an index can be made to store information from a certain data source including a log file.
Extra indexes are made in the Splunk web interface. To form an extra index, the user needs to go to the “Settings” menu & select “Indexes“. Then, the user requires to select “New Index” button plus enter the new index name.
Managing Indexes
Users will also manage indexes in Splunk. This includes the capability to configure index settings, including the amount of disk space that an index utilizes, and the capability to delete an index. Furthermore, users can also set index-level permissions, which determine the person that can access plus modify information in an index.
To manage indexes, users need to go to the “Settings” menu plus select “Indexes“. After that, the user can choose the index which they need to manage and make changes to settings or delete the index.
Indexing Settings
Indexing settings decide the way information is indexed and kept in an index. These settings are information retention policy which decides how long information is stored in an index, and indexing settings, which determines how information is stored and indexed
The information retention policy decides how long data is kept in the index. The default data retention policy for the main index is 90 days. Moreover, users can change the policy of data retention for every index by using the “Indexes” menu.
Indexing settings decide the way information is stored and indexed in an index. These settings are the indexing mode, which decides how data is indexed, and indexing settings, which decides how data is indexed & stored.
Conclusion
In summary, in Splunk, the default index is the “main” index. The main index is the initial index that’s auto-created when Splunk is installed, and it’s utilized to keep all information collected by Splunk unless a distinct index is specified. The major index also keeps the default settings plus configurations for every other index in Splunk. Users can create new indexes plus manage existing indexes by using the “Indexes” menu, found in the Splunk Web interface. Furthermore, indexing settings decide how data is stored and indexed in an index, including the indexing mode and data retention policy.
