Distributed Trace Implementation Workflow
Implement distributed tracing across microservices with OpenTelemetry for end-to-end request visibility.
Objective
Add distributed tracing to a microservice architecture for cross-service debugging.
Environment
- Multiple microservices with inter-service calls
- An OpenTelemetry-compatible backend
- Application framework supporting OpenTelemetry
Steps
1. Instrument services
Add OpenTelemetry SDK to each service with auto-instrumentation for HTTP and database calls.
Expected state: Each service emits trace spans for its operations.
2. Propagate context
Ensure trace context is propagated across service boundaries via headers.
Expected state: Trace context flows across all service calls.
3. Configure exporter
Set up the trace exporter to send spans to the distributed tracing backend.
Expected state: Spans are exported to the tracing backend.
4. Add custom spans
Instrument critical business logic with custom spans and attributes for domain-specific visibility.
Expected state: Key business operations have custom trace spans.
5. Verify end-to-end
Trigger a request and verify the full trace appears in the tracing UI.
Expected state: A complete end-to-end trace is visible in the tracing backend.
Decision points
Auto or manual instrumentation?
- Auto for coverage
- Manual for key paths
Use auto-instrumentation for broad coverage; add manual spans for critical business logic.
Expected outcome
Distributed tracing is implemented across all services with end-to-end trace visibility.
Verification
Trigger a cross-service request and confirm the full trace is visible in the tracing UI with all spans connected.
Cleanup
Remove test spans after verification; keep tracing enabled for production observability.
Tracing shows the whole path
When a request spans multiple services, only distributed tracing can show the complete path and pinpoint the slowest span.
Implementation Notes
This workflow provides a structured approach to ensure consistent results across team members and environments.
Common Pitfalls
Skipping verification steps or rushing through the process can lead to incomplete results. Always follow each step in order and verify before proceeding.
Quick Reference
# Execute the workflow steps as documented above
echo "Workflow completed successfully"