Which forwarder data type is characterized by data being sent unaltered over TCP?

The forwarder data type characterized by data being sent unaltered over TCP is raw data. In the context of data forwarding in Splunk, raw data refers to the original, unmodified information received from the source, which is transmitted directly to the indexer or other destination. This means that, regardless of the format or structure of the data, it is sent over the network as is, without any preprocessing or transformation applied to it.

Using raw data allows for maximum flexibility and preserves the original context of the information, making it easier for downstream processes, such as indexing and searching, to interpret the data accurately. This characteristic is particularly valuable in environments where data integrity and fidelity to source information are paramount, such as in compliance or forensic investigations.

The terms "parsed," "unparsed," and "cooked" pertain to different methods of handling and processing data before it reaches its destination. Parsed data has already gone through a process of breaking down the information for easier querying or analysis, while cooked data implies some transformation has been applied for optimization purposes. Unparsed may refer to data that has not been fully interpreted yet, but it still doesn't capture the essence of the original, unaltered nature of raw data as it is viewed in the context