https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/latest/Indexer/Setaretirementandarchivingpolicy

When configuring multiple LDAP strategies in Splunk, the order in which they are listed in the authentication.
conf file determines the sequence in which Splunk searches them during authentication.
From the official Splunk documentation:
"To configure multiple LDAP strategies, set the authSettings setting to a comma-separated list of all strategies, in the order in which you want to query the strategies."
- Configure LDAP using configuration files - Splunk Documentation
Therefore, Splunk will search each LDAP strategy in the order specified in the authSettings parameter of the authentication.conf file.
Reference:
Configure LDAP using configuration files - Splunk Documentation

Per the provided reference URL https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/7.3.1/Admin/User-seedconf
"To set the default username and password, place user-seed.conf in $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/local. You must restart Splunk to enable configurations. If the $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/passwd file is present, the settings in this file (user-seed.conf) are not used."

homePath = $SPLUNK_DB/hatchdb/db
coldPath = $SPLUNK_DB/hatchdb/colddb
thawedPath = $SPLUNK_DB/hatchdb/thaweddb
https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/latest/Admin/Indexesconf
https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/7.3.1/Admin/Indexesconf#PER_INDEX_OPTIONS

Hot/warm/cold/thawed bucket types are searchable. Frozen isn't searchable because its either deleted at that state or archived.