On an indexer, what does the props.conf file control?

The props.conf file plays a critical role in how data is processed in Splunk. Specifically, it is used to define various attributes for incoming events, including how to break events into individual data points and how to extract timestamps from those events.

When data is indexed in Splunk, the props.conf file allows administrators to specify rules for defining what constitutes a complete event. This includes the parameters for event breaking, which ultimately ensures that the data is ingested correctly and is usable for search and analysis. It also allows for customization of how timestamps are extracted, which is essential for ensuring that the temporal aspects of the data are accurate and reflect the actual event occurrence time.

Understanding the significance of these configurations in props.conf is vital for efficient data management and query performance in Splunk.