Getting Data In

Determine Index Retention Time

daniel333
Builder

Hello,

We have about 10 indexers setup in our distributed search. Not sure if this matters.

where do I go to determine the rention time on an index? I am trying to ensure we are keeping at least 90 days on a few of them.

Tags (1)
0 Karma

kristian_kolb
Ultra Champion

If you have a search head that searches all the indexers, you can run this search, which should give you the information;

| rest /services/admin/indexes | eval yr = floor(frozenTimePeriodInSecs/86400/365)| eval dy = (frozenTimePeriodInSecs/86400) % 365 | eval ret = yr . " years, " . dy . " days" | stats list(splunk_server) list(frozenTimePeriodInSecs) list(ret) by title

/K

lukejadamec
Super Champion

You'll want to check the frozenTimePeriodInSecs and maxTotalDataSizeMB attributes in indexes.conf.

frozenTimePeriodInSecs sets the time in seconds for how long the cold buckets will stay around before they are deleted or archived (frozen).

maxTotalDataSizeMB sets the max size of the index before buckets are deleted or archived (frozen).

These can be set as both a global attribute and as a per index attribute. See the documentation for your Splunk version at:
http://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/6.0/admin/Indexesconf

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!

Introducing the 2026 - 2027 SplunkTrust cohort!

The goal of the SplunkTrust™ membership has historically been to acknowledge and recognize those who go above ...

(re)Introducing the Splunk Community Champions + 2026 – 2027 Splunk MVPs ...

This program exists as a channel to empower and recognize Splunk advocates and help supercharge initiatives to ...

Pro Tips for .conf26: How to Prep Like a Splunk Veteran

There’s no shortage of incredible content lined up for .conf26 in Denver, from deep-dive technical sessions ...