What characterizes a real-time search in Splunk?

A real-time search in Splunk is defined by its ability to retrieve results based on events as they are ingested. This means that as new data is added to the system—whether it's log files, events, or transactions—the search is updated instantly to reflect those changes. This capability allows users to monitor live data and gain immediate insights, which is crucial for tasks such as security monitoring, system performance tracking, and incident response.

In contrast to the other options, real-time searches do not focus solely on historical data nor do they aggregate data at set time intervals like hourly aggregates. Additionally, real-time searches continuously update while data is still being processed, rather than analyzing it only after all processing is finished. This dynamic capability is what makes real-time searches particularly powerful in environments where timely data visibility is critical.