Getting Data In

sub second event sorting

briang67
Communicator

We have a log file which contains a 7 digit second timestamp like the below: 08:30:00.2124216

We periodically need to compare sub second times between events, but it looks like the splunk event _time only includes the first 3 second digits like: 08:30:00.212

the problem is when we do a sort by _time, we frequently see events that are out of order like the following: 08:30:00.2124216 08:30:00.2124215 (this should be the reverse)

Anyone know of a way to handle this? Can splunk be configured to recognize a more granular time stamp?

Tags (1)
1 Solution

dwaddle
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

I suggest you check out the TIME_FORMAT option. I had a similar question some time ago:

http://answers.splunk.com/questions/1946/time-format-and-subseconds

View solution in original post

dwaddle
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

I suggest you check out the TIME_FORMAT option. I had a similar question some time ago:

http://answers.splunk.com/questions/1946/time-format-and-subseconds

gkanapathy
Splunk Employee
Splunk Employee

You use %7N to capture 7 digits of subseconds.

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!

Cisco Data Fabric from Architecture to Investigation, Better SOC Visibility, and More ...

Splunk Lantern is Splunk’s customer success center that provides practical guidance from Splunk experts on key ...

The Trust Gap: Why a Data Foundation is Fundamental to an Agentic Enterprise

The Trust Gap: Why a data foundation is fundamental to an  Agentic Enterprise.   Agentic AI is transforming ...

Data Management Digest – September 2026

    Welcome to the September 2026 edition of Data Management Digest! September brought a fresh wave of ...