Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin Practice Test

What can happen if field changes are made in indexed field extractions?

1. Data is automatically updated

2. Requires no additional indexing

3. May need a re-index of the dataset

4. Only affects future data

The correct answer is: May need a re-index of the dataset

When changes are made to indexed field extractions, it is crucial to understand the impact on the existing data already ingested into Splunk. Making alterations to these extractions affects how the data fields are defined and interpreted, leading to potential discrepancies in the existing indexed data. In this context, a re-index of the dataset may be necessary. This process ensures that the changes to extraction rules are applied to the stored information so that the updates propagate correctly throughout the already indexed events. In contrast, changes typically only affect future data can be misleading to some extent because while they do apply immediately to new incoming data, the existing indexed records may not reflect these updates unless a reindexing is performed. Also, the idea that data is automatically updated or requires no additional indexing overlooks the need for adjustments to be made to previously indexed entries after changes to field extraction definitions. The implications of data adjustments through re-indexing hinge critically on the nature of Splunk's indexing architecture and how data is accessed post-ingestion.