What is the primary role of a Splunk forwarder?

The primary role of a Splunk forwarder is to send data from a source to a Splunk instance for indexing. Forwarders are essential components in the Splunk architecture, as they collect data from various sources, which may include logs, metrics, and other event data, and transmit it to a Splunk indexer. This process facilitates the ingestion of data into Splunk for searching, reporting, and monitoring purposes.

Forwarders come in two types: universal forwarders and heavy forwarders. Universal forwarders are lightweight agents that efficiently transmit data, while heavy forwarders can perform some data parsing and processing before sending it to the indexer. In either case, their primary function remains the same—ensuring that data is reliably sent to a Splunk instance for further analysis.

The other choices reflect functions not associated with the core purpose of a forwarder. For instance, deleting old event data from an index is typically managed through data retention policies and not the role of a forwarder. While forwarders do gather data from various sources, they do not limit themselves to logs alone; they can collect data from multiple formats, making option C incorrect. Lastly, the role of serving as a backup for indexed data does not align with the forwarder’s