What is “Splunking” of Data
Updated On August 23, 2021 | by Ankit
There has been massive growth in machine data over the last decade. This came about, in part, because of the ever-expanding IT infrastructure and the use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Machine data drives efficiency and productivity for businesses, and this is where Splunk software comes in. Founded in 2003, Splunk’s purpose is to interpret generated log data. It allows big data to be easily managed and for specific information to be easily pulled when needed.
Machine data is complex. If you encounter an issue on a system, it can be difficult to decipher what exactly went wrong just by looking at lines of data in the logs. IT professionals could spend hours reading the data before even being able to identify the problem. By running the data through Splunk, it provides an instantaneous breakdown of where the problem lies.
How Does Splunk Work?
Splunk works by remotely collecting data from machines and then forwarding it to an index. The indexer interprets the information and indexes it on the disk. The end-users then operate Splunk through the search function. At this stage, the data can be analyzed and visualized.
Splunk software can analyze websites, applications, sensors, devices, etc., which all make up an IT infrastructure and business. Even if the system is constantly churning data, the information is accessible in real-time. Being able to access data in real-time is certainly a unique selling point for Splunk.
Data can also be put in any format and can alert system administrators on what parts of the infrastructure require scaling up. Splunk also allows for the creation of “knowledge objects,” which enriches existing data by extracting important information. Although the system can be quite complex to set up, it provides a powerful boost to performance and allows for information to be collected and presented in a wide variety of ways.
What are the Benefits of Splunk?
There are numerous benefits to implementing Splunk software to an IT infrastructure. One of the biggest advantages is that it does not require a database to store data because of its indexes. There is reduced downtime in processes with Splunk software as it can extract and analyze data from thousands of IoT devices. This improves equipment uptime and increases customer satisfaction in the business.
It also provides continuous threat remediation by identifying potential incidents in compromised systems. It also screens for vulnerabilities that can lead to breaches. Splunk sniffs out threats, determines risk levels, and reports to compliance via ongoing security monitoring.
If all that isn’t impressive enough, Splunk improves performance by troubleshooting conditions and monitors business metrics to enable informed decisions. Plus, it can aid organizations to build artificial intelligence (AI) into their data strategies and gain operational intelligence from their machine data.
How Does Splunk Help Businesses Succeed?
Splunk allows executives to keep their fingers on the pulse of their business with access to precise, real-time reports in every area of the business. It also helps businesses gain insight into customer satisfaction, which reduces churn which mitigates the high cost of re-engaging customers and sourcing new ones.
The world of business is ever-evolving. Data architects and IT leaders are expanding the scope of business analytics to incorporate new data sources such as machine data. Having access to real-time and relevant business insight from new data sources will create huge value for any business.
Also read: How Much Will It Cost to Get Data Recovery Software?
