what is the difference between summary indexing and data models?

[Day]

Hi 🙂 i'm new hier and i still don't understand the difference between summary indexing and data modeling.

When should I use each? Or which is the best option for optimizing searches?

[isoutamo]

Hi

as usually it depends on your case. Here are some old posts and docs about those methods

• https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/latest/Knowledge/Aboutsummaryindexing
• https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/latest/Knowledge/Acceleratedatamodels
• https://community.splunk.com/t5/Security/Different-data-acceleration-methods/m-p/343319
• https://community.splunk.com/t5/Reporting/What-are-the-differences-between-the-various-features-name...
• https://community.splunk.com/t5/Reporting/Data-model-saved-search-or-summary-index/m-p/346931

Which one is best for your use case it totally depends on your environment and your use case.

r. Ismo

[gcusello · Accepted solution]

Hi @Day,

they are both ways to accelerate searches when you have to use structured fields (searches using fields, not full text searches.

they both use schedule searches to take events from the raw logs

Data Models use DB tables, instead Summary indexes are standard Splunk indexes containing the extracted fields.

You can accelerate Data Models.

for more infos see at 

https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/9.1.1/Knowledge/Aboutsummaryindexing

https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/9.1.1/Knowledge/Aboutdatamodels

Ciao.

Giuseppe

[ITWhisperer]

It depends on your data and what you are trying to get from it. It also depends on what sort of optimisation you are trying to achieve, e.g. speed, length of SPL, size of configuration data, maintenance overhead, etc.