If an index is deleted, what happens to the bad data within it?

When an index is deleted in Splunk, the handling of data depends on whether that data has been archived or not. If data has been archived, it means that a copy exists in a separate, manageable storage location, typically for compliance or analytical review purposes. Therefore, the bad data will persist in the archive even if the index itself is removed from the system.

When an index gets deleted, only the direct association with that index is lost. The archived data can still be retrieved later, as it remains separate from the indexed data. In contrast, if the data was not archived before the index was deleted, it would indeed be permanently lost because Splunk's indexing structure does not retain data once the index itself is removed.

This understanding highlights the importance of archiving important data, especially if there is a concern about losing potentially valuable or significant information that could reside within what might be considered "bad" data. It's also worth noting that the deletion of an index does not trigger automatic repair mechanisms within Splunk, nor does it transfer data to local folders, making those options less relevant.