How can I use Unix _time for inputs.conf monitor?

[spraus]

Hello All,

Let me apologize if this has been clarified before though I cannot seem to find any documentation.

I have a file that is updated ever 60 seconds with the current status of vpn users connections including data transfer bytes, username, and for the important part... Initial connection time. Unfortunately when splunk indexes the modification of the lines in this file it uses the users initial connection time as the _time field.

I would like to ask if anyone knows a way using the inputs.conf file to set the _time value to the current unix timestamp.

Ideally I would expect something along the lines of....
[monitor:///var/log/openvpn*.log]
index=os
disabled = 0
sourcetype = openvpn
interval = 10
_time =now()

Thank you all for any help you can provide;

SPraus

[richgalloway · Accepted solution]

You can tell Splunk what to use for _time in a props.conf file.  Every sourcetype should have props.

[openvpn]
# Use the current time as _time
DATETIME_CONFIG = current
SHOULD_LINEMERGE = false
# Change this as necessary to match your data
LINE_BREAKER = ([\r\n]+)

[spraus]

This worked beautifully... I feel like an idiot, I had tried this but I put it on my search head not my indexer.... Just took another person reminding me I cant do simple things lol.

Thank you for your help!