Navigating the Data Stream Processor

When building a pipeline in the Splunk Data Stream Processor (DSP), you can choose to use the Canvas Builder or the SPL2 (Search Processing Language 2) Pipeline Builder. Each builder provides different features and tools for building a pipeline.

Use the Canvas Builder if you prefer to work in a graphical user interface (GUI) and receive more guidance as you work in DSP. Use the SPL2 Pipeline Builder instead if you prefer to write SPL2 statements to configure pipeline functions and define the structure of the pipeline. For more information each builder, see Create a pipeline using the Canvas Builder and Create a pipeline using the SPL2 Pipeline Builder.

Canvas Builder

When creating a pipeline in the Canvas Builder, you click the point in the pipeline where you want to add a function and then select from a list that shows valid functions only. You then configure the function by filling in fields that show all the accepted arguments for that function. The Canvas Builder automatically supplies default values for any optional arguments that you do not fill in, and also provides streamlined workflows for more advanced pipeline features such as branches and unions.

The following screenshot shows the Canvas Builder.

Label	Element	Description
A1	Home	Navigate to the Data Stream Processor home page.
A2	Build Pipeline	Create a new pipeline by selecting either a source function or a template.
A3	Data Management	Navigate to a list of all pipelines, connections, and templates in your tenant.
A4	User Management	Manage the users and administrators in your tenant.
A5	Help & Feedback	Manage your product license, view details about your installation of DSP, and navigate to the documentation.
A6	Pipeline name	The name of your pipeline.
A7	Pipeline state	The state of your pipeline. For a list of available states and what they mean, see Check the status of a pipeline.
A8	Builder switch	Toggle between the Canvas Builder and the SPL2 Pipeline Builder. This feature is in BETA and repeated toggles can lead to unexpected results and even data loss.
A9	View/Edit	View or edit an activated pipeline. Changes are not applied to the activated pipeline until you save and reactivate the pipeline.
A10	Save	Save your pipeline.
A11	Activate Pipeline	Activate your pipeline.
A12	More options	Access additional options for working with your pipeline: Validate the pipeline to confirm that your functions are configured correctly. Save a copy of the pipeline. Revert the pipeline to a previous version. Deactivate the pipeline. Delete the pipeline. Update the pipeline metadata.
A13	Start Preview	Preview the data moving through the selected function in your pipeline. See Monitor your pipeline with data preview.
A14	Pipeline canvas	The canvas view of your pipeline.
A15	Function	The basic building block of a pipeline.
A16	Add a function	Add a function to your pipeline.
A17	Add a branch	Create a branch in your pipeline, and add a function to the newly created branch.
A18	Function metrics	Live metrics about the function, such as the number of events moving in or out of the function per second. You can use these metrics to quickly scan if your records are making it through your pipeline or to check the performance of your pipeline.
A19	View Configurations	View or modify the configuration of the selected function.
A20	Preview Results	View a sample of the events that are sent through the selected function.

SPL2 Pipeline Builder

When creating a pipeline in the SPL2 Pipeline Builder, you write statements in SPL2 syntax to add functions and configure them. You can view the SPL2 statement of a pipeline to see an overview of all the arguments that have been specified for all the functions in the pipeline. You also have the option of copying SPL2 statements into text editors or other DSP instances.

The following screenshot shows the SPL2 Pipeline Builder.

Label	Element	Description
B1	Home	Navigate to the Data Stream Processor home page.
B2	Build Pipeline	Create a new pipeline by selecting either a source function or a template.
B3	Data Management	Navigate to a list of all pipelines, connections, and templates in your tenant.
B4	User Management	Manage the users and administrators in your tenant.
B5	Help & Feedback	Manage your product license, view details about your installation of DSP, and navigate to the documentation.
B6	Pipeline name	The name of your pipeline.
B7	Pipeline state	The state of your pipeline. For a list of available states and what they mean, see Check the status of a pipeline.
B8	Builder switch	Toggle between the Canvas Builder and the SPL2 Pipeline Builder. This feature is in BETA and repeated toggles can lead to unexpected results and even data loss.
B9	View/Edit	View or edit an activated pipeline. Changes are not applied to the activated pipeline until you save and reactivate the pipeline.
B10	Save	Save your pipeline.
B11	Activate Pipeline	Activate your pipeline.
B12	More options	Access additional options for working with your pipeline: Validate the pipeline to confirm that your functions are configured correctly. Save a copy of the pipeline. Revert the pipeline to a previous version. Deactivate the pipeline. Delete the pipeline. Update the pipeline metadata.
B13	SPL2 input field	Enter an SPL2 statement that defines the functions and configurations in your pipeline.
B14	Start Preview	Build the pipeline defined in your SPL2 statement, validate the functions, and preview the data moving through the pipeline. See Monitor your pipeline with data preview.
B15	Pipeline canvas	The canvas view of your pipeline.
B16	Function	The basic building block of a pipeline.
B17	Function metrics	Live metrics about the function, such as the number of events moving in or out of the function per second. You can use these metrics to quickly scan if your records are making it through your pipeline or to check the performance of your pipeline.
B18	Preview Results	View a sample of the events that are sent through the selected function.