Getting Data In

Best/optimum log file size?

lguinn2
Legend

I saw a recommendation that Splunk works better with smaller log files. But what does "small" mean?

I would assume that 2GB is small, but maybe not? I can set log file rotation based on size or time, and I wanted to use size to optimize Splunk's ability to read the files...

I found a couple of other answers that touch on this subject, including one that says "there isn't really a max size except for file system limits." Okay for the maximum, but what is optimum? No one actually says "it's better if your log files don't exceed size X."

muebel
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

My take on this is that it might not be that Splunk work's better per se, but that it is better to setup smaller files through rotation by the fact that, since Splunk is indexing the contents of the files, you don't have to leave as much local on the system's disk.

0 Karma

masonmorales
Influencer

1 GB is the recommended size that I heard at conf 2015.

lguinn2
Legend

Can you give more info on where you heard this? Just curious...

muebel
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

Was that from the "Logging: Proven operational practices" section? I couldn't find a direct match for "Splunk works better with smaller log files"

0 Karma

lguinn2
Legend

Yes, the direct quote is "Use smaller log files."

0 Karma
Got questions? Get answers!

Join the Splunk Community Slack to learn, troubleshoot, and make connections with fellow Splunk practitioners in real time!

Meet up IRL or virtually!

Join Splunk User Groups to connect and learn in-person by region or remotely by topic or industry.

Get Updates on the Splunk Community!

Turn Cisco Telemetry Into Action with Cisco Data Fabric, powered by the Splunk ...

The surge in machine data is already hitting enterprise budgets, and the agentic era will only intensify it. ...

Persistent Queue at TcpOut — One of Splunk's Most Practical Features

Splunk introduced persistent queueing at the tcpout layer as one of the most practical resilience features in ...

Skip the Awkward Silence: Have a .conf-ersation at .conf26

Picture this. You arrive at .conf26 already having your socializing and networking plans mapped out. No ...