What is the result of the following search? index=myindex source=c:\mydata. txt NOT error=*

Question

Options

• AOnly data where the error field is present and does not contain a value will be displayed.
• BOnly data with a value in the field error will be displayed.
• COnly data that does not contain the error field will be displayed.
• DOnly data where the value of the field error does not equal an asterisk (*) will be displayed.

• A
  4% (2)
• B
  7% (4)
• C
  81% (46)
• D
  9% (5)

Explanation

In Splunk, error=* uses the wildcard * to match any event where the error field exists and has any value. Applying NOT to this expression filters out all such events, leaving only those where the error field is entirely absent - making C correct.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A is backwards: it describes events where the field exists but is empty, which is not what NOT error=* returns - it excludes events where the field is present.
• B is the opposite of the intended behavior: error=* alone would return events with a value in the error field; NOT error=* excludes them.
• D misreads the * as a literal asterisk character for comparison, but in Splunk search syntax * is always a wildcard, not a string literal.

Memory tip: Think of field=* as "this field exists with anything in it." Slapping NOT in front flips it to "this field doesn't exist at all" - useful for filtering out fields entirely rather than filtering by their values.

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