What happens to data before it is forwarded to Splunk Cloud in a heavy forwarder configuration?

In a heavy forwarder configuration, data can indeed be modified or filtered before it is forwarded to Splunk Cloud, making the ability to remove data before forwarding a key characteristic of this setup. Heavy forwarders have the capability to perform data parsing and indexing, which allows them to filter out any unnecessary or sensitive information prior to sending it to the cloud. This feature is particularly beneficial for optimizing network bandwidth and ensuring that only relevant, necessary data is passed on for indexing and storage in Splunk Cloud.

The other options do not accurately reflect the function of a heavy forwarder. Data being indexed immediately pertains to how Splunk itself processes data, which is not the primary role of a forwarder. Forwarding data without any modifications would undermine the capabilities of a heavy forwarder, as it is designed specifically to process and filter data. Storing data in a separate database does not apply, as heavy forwarders do not usually manage separate databases but rather focus on forwarding data efficiently to the Splunk indexers.