Elastic has announced the release of Elastic 8.4, introducing several innovations aimed at optimizing data storage and analysis. A key feature is the "synthetic _source," which reduces the index size for machine-generated data, like logs and metrics, by recreating the _source from doc_values, thus enhancing storage efficiency. This version also integrates k-nearest neighbor (kNN) search into the _search API, allowing hybrid scoring that combines vector similarity with traditional ranking methods for more nuanced search results. Additionally, the release includes "explain log rate spikes" to identify deviations in log message rates and a snooze option for alert notifications in Kibana to manage planned disruptions. Performance improvements in vector tiles for geo retrieval have reduced query latency by up to 10%, while the introduction of infinite and adaptive retries ensures that data transforms can recover automatically after failures. Furthermore, support for Logstash output from fleet-managed agents is now generally available, and users can customize ingest pipelines and mappings within the integration UI. These advancements aim to enhance the functionality and efficiency of Elastic's data solutions, with many features available for trial through Elastic Cloud.