Make OpenTelemetryUtil a Bean

Oct 13, 2025 by vinooalluri.com 93 views

Introduction

OpenTelemetry is a popular open-source project that provides a set of APIs and tools for collecting and managing telemetry data. In this article, we will explore how to customize logged trace/span/baggage information using OpenTelemetry. We will discuss the current implementation, identify the limitations, and propose potential solutions to make it possible to log additional information.

Current Implementation

The current implementation of OpenTelemetry in Quarkus adds the following trace/span-attributes to the MDC (Mapped Diagnostic Context):

traceId: a unique identifier for the trace
spanId: a unique identifier for the span
parentId: the identifier of the parent span
sampled: a flag indicating whether the span is sampled

These attributes can be used in the log format string to add additional information to every log message. However, there is a limitation: additional information attached to the trace/span as baggage is not logged.

Baggage Information

In our case, we have two pieces of baggage information attached to the trace/span:

user name: the name of the user associated with the request
offer id: the primary business object associated with the request

Logging this baggage information would greatly facilitate troubleshooting of the application.

OpenTelemetryUtil Class

The class responsible for transferring span attributes to the MDC is OpenTelemetryUtil. Unfortunately, it is a final class with static methods, making it difficult to replace or extend.

Implementation Ideas

To make it possible to log baggage information, we need to either adjust the implementation to support copying baggage information to the MDC or make it possible to easily extend the code that copies span information to the MDC.

Here are some potential solutions:

Adjust the implementation: modify the OpenTelemetryUtil class to copy baggage information to the MDC.
Make OpenTelemetryUtil a Bean: make the OpenTelemetryUtil class a bean, allowing it to be easily extended or replaced.

Benefits of Customizing Logged Trace/Span/Baggage Information

Customizing logged trace/span/baggage information provides several benefits:

Improved troubleshooting: logging baggage information facilitates troubleshooting of the application.
Enhanced visibility: logging additional information provides a more comprehensive view of the application's behavior.
Flexibility: customizing logged information allows developers to tailor the logging behavior to their specific needs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, customizing logged trace/span/baggage information using OpenTelemetry is a valuable feature that can greatly improve troubleshooting and visibility. By adjusting the implementation or making OpenTelemetryUtil a bean, we can make it possible to log additional information. This will provide developers with a more comprehensive view of the application's behavior and facilitate troubleshooting.

Future Work

Future work includes:

Implementing the proposed solutions: adjust the implementation or make OpenTelemetryUtil a bean to support logging baggage information.
Testing and validation: test and validate the proposed solutions to ensure they meet the requirements.
Refactoring and optimization: refactor and optimize the code to improve performance and maintainability.

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored how to customize logged trace/span/baggage information using OpenTelemetry. We discussed the current implementation, identified the limitations, and proposed potential solutions to make it possible to log additional information. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to customizing logged trace/span/baggage information using OpenTelemetry.

Q&A

Q: What is the current implementation of OpenTelemetry in Quarkus?

A: The current implementation of OpenTelemetry in Quarkus adds the following trace/span-attributes to the MDC (Mapped Diagnostic Context):

traceId: a unique identifier for the trace
spanId: a unique identifier for the span
parentId: the identifier of the parent span
sampled: a flag indicating whether the span is sampled

Q: Why is it not possible to log baggage information currently?

A: The OpenTelemetryUtil class is a final class with static methods, making it difficult to replace or extend. This limits the ability to log baggage information.

Q: What are the benefits of customizing logged trace/span/baggage information?

A: Customizing logged trace/span/baggage information provides several benefits:

Improved troubleshooting: logging baggage information facilitates troubleshooting of the application.
Enhanced visibility: logging additional information provides a more comprehensive view of the application's behavior.
Flexibility: customizing logged information allows developers to tailor the logging behavior to their specific needs.

Q: How can I adjust the implementation to support copying baggage information to the MDC?

A: To adjust the implementation, you can modify the OpenTelemetryUtil class to copy baggage information to the MDC. This may involve adding new methods or modifying existing ones.

Q: How can I make `OpenTelemetryUtil` a bean to easily extend or replace it?

A: To make OpenTelemetryUtil a bean, you can annotate it with the @Bean annotation. This will allow you to easily extend or replace the class.

Q: What are some potential solutions to make it possible to log baggage information?

A: Some potential solutions include:

Adjusting the implementation: modify the OpenTelemetryUtil class to copy baggage information to the MDC.
Making OpenTelemetryUtil a bean: make the OpenTelemetryUtil class a bean, allowing it to be easily extended or replaced.

Q: How can I test and validate the proposed solutions?

A: To test and validate the proposed solutions, you can use a combination of unit tests and integration tests. This will ensure that the solutions meet the requirements and do not introduce any regressions.

Q: What are some best practices for customizing logged trace/span/baggage information?

A: Some best practices for customizing logged trace/span/baggage information include:

Keep it simple: avoid over-complicating the logging behavior.
Be consistent: ensure that the logging behavior is consistent across the application.
Test thoroughly: test the logging behavior thoroughly to ensure it meets the requirements.

Conclusion

In conclusion, customizing logged trace/span/baggage information using OpenTelemetry is a valuable feature that can greatly improve troubleshooting and visibility. By answering these FAQs, we hope to provide developers with a better understanding of how to customize logged trace/span/baggage information using OpenTelemetry.