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Configure Indexes for Log Retention in ObserveOps

Indexes control how long ObserveOps stores your logs and which logs go into which retention bucket. You create inclusion criteria to route specific logs into an index, set retention periods, and enable/ disable indexes to control which one captures each log first.

How It Works

Every log that passes through the Observability Pipeline is checked against the inclusion criteria of each active index, in order from top to bottom. The log falls into the first index whose criteria match. A log can fall into only one index, and it is stored there for that index's retention period.

The Configure Indexes Screen

Go to Settings > Observability Pipeline > Log Pipeline, then click Configure Indexes to expand the section.

Configure Indexes screen showing the index list with INDEX, FILTER, RETENTION, and INGESTED columns

The list shows all indexes with their INDEX name, FILTER, and RETENTION columns.

Pre-Configured Indexes

ObserveOps allows four index buckets, which are pre-configured in every new deployment as:

IndexRetention
30 Day Retention30 Days
15 Day Retention15 Days
7 Day Retention7 Days
3 Day Retention (Default)3 Days

The 3 Day Retention (Default) index is enabled by default and sits at the bottom of the list. It uses a select * filter that matches all logs. Every log that does not match a higher-priority index falls into this default index and is kept for 3 days.

Edit an Index

Click the edit icon next to any index to update its Name, Description, or Retention Days.

note

Retention changes apply to all logs already in the index, not just new ones. Lowering the retention period removes logs that exceed the new limit. This cannot be undone.

Inclusion Criteria

Each index can hold maximum two inclusion criteria. Each criterion has a Name and a Filter.

To add an inclusion criterion: Open the index and click + Add Inclusion Criteria. Enter the name and filter, then click Save.

To edit a criterion: Click the edit icon on the criterion row.

To delete a criterion: Click the delete icon on the criterion row.

Index Ordering and Priority

Logs check indexes in order, top to bottom. The log falls into the first index whose inclusion criteria match. Therefore, configure the indexes and inclusion criteria accordingly.

Turn an Index On or Off

Indexes cannot be deleted. Use the toggle to turn each index on or off. When an index is off, its criteria are skipped.

What Happens When No Index Matches

If a log does not match any active index, it falls into the default index at the bottom of the list. This is why the default index uses select *: it catches everything that no other index captures.

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