Data structure for managing captaincy qualification for search heads

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method for managing captaincy qualification for search heads, the method comprising:

• in a search head cluster comprising a search head captain and a plurality of search heads of a search environment, receiving, at the search head captain, a periodic communication from each search head of the plurality of search heads in the search environment, wherein the periodic communication comprises a configuration replication status corresponding to a respective search head of the plurality of search heads, and wherein the configuration replication status indicates whether the respective search head qualifies to be the search head captain based on a comparison of a first timestamp of a last configuration replication in the search head captain with a second timestamp of a most recent configuration replication in at least the respective search head, wherein each search head of the plurality of search heads in the search head cluster coordinates with other search heads in the search head cluster to execute searches on one or more indexers comprised within a data intake and query system;
• determining a timestamp corresponding to the configuration replication status from the respective search head;
• and
• updating a data structure with the timestamp and the configuration replication status from the respective search head, wherein each of the plurality of search heads is configured to access the data structure to determine if the respective search head is qualified to be the search head captain.

A system comprising:

• a processing device comprised in a search head captain of a search head cluster of a search environment, wherein the search head cluster comprises a search head captain and a plurality of search heads, the processing device being configured to:
• receive a periodic communication from each search head of the plurality of search heads in the search environment, wherein the periodic communication comprises a configuration replication status corresponding to a respective search head of the plurality of search heads, and wherein the configuration replication status indicates whether the respective search head qualifies to be the search head captain based on a comparison of a first timestamp of a last configuration replication in the search head captain with a second timestamp of a most recent configuration replication in at least the respective search head, wherein each search head of the plurality of search heads in the search head cluster coordinates with other search heads in the search head cluster to execute searches on one or more indexers comprised within a data intake and query system;
• determine a timestamp corresponding to the configuration replication status from the respective search head;
• and
• update a data structure with the timestamp and the configuration replication status from the respective search head, wherein each of the plurality of search heads is configured to access the data structure to determine if the respective search head is qualified to be the search head captain.