Configuration merging logic

Configurations in different locations merge behind the scenes into one "super" configuration. Luckily, the merging happens in a predictable way and is fairly easy to learn, and there is a tool to help us preview this merging.

Merging order

Merging order is slightly different depending on whether the configuration is being used by the search engine or another part of Splunk. The difference is whether there is an active user and app.

Merging order outside of search

Configurations being used outside of search are merged in a fairly simple order. These configurations include what files to read, what indexed fields to create, what indexes exist, and deployment server and client configurations as well as other settings. These configurations merge in this order:

1. $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/default: This directory contains the base configurations that ship with Splunk.

   Note

   Never make changes in $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/default as your changes will be lost when you upgrade Splunk...