What is the default cold path maximum data size in Splunk's indexes.conf?

In Splunk's configuration settings, the default cold path maximum data size in the indexes.conf file is set to 0MB. This indicates that there is no limit to the amount of data that can be stored in the cold path. The cold path is where data is moved after it has aged out from the warm path, and it is primarily used for long-term storage of older data that is less frequently accessed.

When the maximum size is not enforced (which is what a setting of 0MB implies), Splunk allows the cold storage to grow as needed, accommodating all indexed data without removing or archiving it under the size constraint. This configuration is particularly useful for organizations that want to retain all their data for compliance or historical analysis purposes.

In contrast, other values like 100MB, 500MB, or 2000MB would impose restrictions on the cold data size, leading to scenarios where older data might be deleted or rolled off to maintain the specified size limit, potentially impacting data availability for historical queries or compliance needs. Therefore, the setting of 0MB as the default provides flexibility in managing long-term data retention in Splunk.