Lab: Collect traces with the OpenTelemetry Collector with correction

What you will learn in this TP

• Configure the otlphttp exporter
• Generate traces
• Query them

Introduction #

What you will learn in this section

• Configure the otlphttp exporter
• Generate traces
• Query them

Context. Your applications are instrumented with OpenTelemetry. You route them through a Collector, without tying them directly to the platform.

Prerequisites: the previous lab  ·  Estimated time: 35 min

An end-to-end trace flow.

Setup #

Guided steps, with their solution.

1. 1. Configure the Collector

   Why? The exporter appends /v1/traces itself: only set the base.

   Write collector.yaml with the otlphttp exporter and the authentication header.
   See the correction

   receivers:
     otlp:
       protocols:
         grpc:
           endpoint: 0.0.0.0:4317
         http:
           endpoint: 0.0.0.0:4318
   
   processors:
     batch:
   
   exporters:
     otlphttp/openobserve:
       endpoint: http://openobserve:5080/api/default
       headers:
         Authorization: "Basic ${env:O2_AUTH}"
         stream-name: applis
   
   service:
     pipelines:
       logs:
         receivers: [otlp]
         processors: [batch]
         exporters: [otlphttp/openobserve]
       metrics:
         receivers: [otlp]
         processors: [batch]
         exporters: [otlphttp/openobserve]
       traces:
         receivers: [otlp]
         processors: [batch]
         exporters: [otlphttp/openobserve]

2. 2. Add the Collector to the stack

   Why? The password must not be written in the Collector configuration.

   Add the collector service to the Compose file.
   See the correction

   services:
     openobserve:
       image: o2cr.ai/openobserve/openobserve:v1.1.2
       ports:
         - "5080:5080"
       environment:
         ZO_DATA_DIR: /data
         ZO_ROOT_USER_EMAIL: root@example.com
         ZO_ROOT_USER_PASSWORD: Complexpass#123
       volumes:
         - o2-data:/data
   
     collector:
       image: otel/opentelemetry-collector-contrib:latest
       command: ["--config=/etc/otelcol/config.yaml"]
       environment:
         O2_AUTH: ${O2_AUTH}
       volumes:
         - ./collector.yaml:/etc/otelcol/config.yaml:ro
       depends_on: [openobserve]
   
   volumes:
     o2-data:

3. 3. Generate traces

   Why? telemetrygen stands in for an instrumented application.

   Start the stack and send 20 traces to the Collector.
   See the correction

   export O2_AUTH=$(printf 'root@example.com:Complexpass#123' | base64)
   docker compose up -d
   docker run --rm --network "$(basename "$PWD")_default" \
     ghcr.io/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/telemetrygen:latest \
     traces --otlp-insecure --otlp-endpoint=collector:4317 --traces 20 --service=paiement

4. 4. Check

   Why? The stream-name header selected the applis stream.

   Query the stream of type traces, then open the Traces menu in the UI.
   See the correction

   NOW=$(date +%s)
   curl -s -u 'root@example.com:Complexpass#123' -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     'http://localhost:5080/api/default/_search?type=traces' \
     -d "{\"query\":{\"sql\":\"SELECT service_name, operation_name, duration FROM applis\",
           \"start_time\":$(( (NOW-3600)*1000000 )),\"end_time\":$(( (NOW+60)*1000000 )),\"from\":0,\"size\":3}}" | jq .hits

Difficulty level : ●●○○○ (2/5)