What does 'hot bucket' refer to in Splunk?

In Splunk, the term 'hot bucket' refers to the active storage where new data is written. This is the initial stage of data storage in Splunk’s indexer architecture, where incoming data is received and processed. Hot buckets are characterized by their high write activity, as they are continuously being populated with real-time data as it flows into the system.

Once data in hot buckets reaches a certain age or the size limit, it transitions to a 'warm bucket', which is less active but still readily searchable. Understanding the concept of hot buckets is essential for managing data efficiently in Splunk because it directly impacts performance, search capabilities, and how quickly new data is available for analysis.