Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin Practice Test

What is a potential side effect of defining an Event Boundary on a Universal Forwarder?

1. Improved performance

2. Data loss during processing

3. Streaming data preventing forwarder switch

4. More data being indexed

The correct answer is: Streaming data preventing forwarder switch

Defining an Event Boundary on a Universal Forwarder has implications for how data is processed and sent to the indexer. When you set an Event Boundary, it can create scenarios where data streams that do not align correctly with these boundaries may not be processed or forwarded as expected. This can lead to a situation where incoming data continues to flow, but the forwarder may not be able to switch between different data streams effectively. As a result, the continuous stream of data can get stalled, leading to delays or preventing the forwarder from switching as intended. Improved performance may occur due to effectively grouping events, but this is not a direct side effect and is more context-dependent. Data loss could occur under other circumstances, such as misconfigurations or resource constraints, but establishing an Event Boundary by itself doesn't inherently lead to loss—it affects processing dynamics. Meanwhile, defining boundaries typically does not increase the amount of data being indexed; in fact, it may streamline and potentially reduce the volume of indexed events by focusing on specific, relevant ones that fit predefined patterns. Thus, the impact of Event Boundaries on the forwarder's ability to switch streams is a crucial aspect of understanding their implementation.