Splunk data sources

Splunk was invented as a way to keep track of and analyze machine data coming from a variety of computerized systems. It is a powerful platform for doing just that. But since its invention, it has been used for a myriad of different data types, including machine data, log data (which is a type of machine data), and social media data. The various types of data that Splunk is often used for are explained in the next few sections.

Machine data

As mentioned previously, much of Splunk's data is machine data. Machine data is data created each time a machine does something, even if it is as seemingly insignificant as a tick on a clock. Each tick has information about its exact time (down to the second) and source, and each of these becomes a field associated with the event (the tick). The term "machine data" can be used in reference to a wide variety of data coming from computerized machines, from servers to operating systems to controllers for robotic assembly arms. Almost all...