How do you ensure field extraction is enabled for a specific sourcetype?

To enable field extraction for a specific sourcetype, modifying the props.conf file is essential. This configuration file allows you to define how Splunk should interpret the data associated with the sourcetype, including how to extract fields from the data.

In the props.conf file, you can specify different settings, such as the TIME_PREFIX for time extraction, the LINE_BREAKER for delineating different events, and most relevantly, the FIELD_EXTRACT for defining field extraction rules like regular expressions. By customizing these parameters in props.conf, you can effectively ensure that field extraction is applied appropriately to your sourcetype during data indexing and searching.

Other methods mentioned like enabling automatic field extraction or using the field extraction wizard can complement field extraction but are not definitive ways to ensure that extraction works for a specific sourcetype. Neither scheduling a field extraction job is relevant in this context as it's not about enabling extraction directly but could be about refreshing or reapplying settings or logic.