SYSTEM Cited by 1 source

opentracing-toolbox (Zalando)

Definition

opentracing-toolbox (github.com/zalando/opentracing-toolbox) is Zalando's open-source library suite that eases OpenTracing tracer integration into JVM applications, with first-class support for Spring Boot and dedicated modules for Java and Kotlin. It is the glue between tracer implementations (Jaeger, Zipkin, etc.) and application code that shouldn't need to know which tracer is wired underneath.

Role in the Zalando stack

• The Guild-recommended tracing library for Kotlin backend services at Zalando (Source: sources/2021-06-30-zalando-how-we-use-kotlin-for-backend-services). Ships a Kotlin submodule (opentracing-kotlin) that smooths idiomatic Kotlin usage on top of the Java OpenTracing API.
• Complements Zalando's platform-wide OpenTracing investment — Zalando rolled out OpenTracing fleet-wide during Cyber Week preparations (sources/2020-10-07-zalando-how-zalando-prepares-for-cyber-week) across tier-1 then tier-2 services. opentracing-toolbox is the library that makes adopting the platform standard low-friction for new services.

Notable capabilities

• Spring Boot auto-configuration for tracer wiring — HTTP client + server instrumentation, Spring MVC interceptors, Feign clients, RestTemplate.
• Kotlin module providing idiomatic DSL-style builders on top of the Java OpenTracing API.
• Tracer-neutral — works with any OpenTracing-compliant backend (Jaeger was the dominant choice in the OpenTracing era; post-2019 OpenTelemetry has superseded OpenTracing but existing instrumentation continues to run via bridges).

Why Zalando built it

Zalando is cited as "investing into traceability with Open Tracing" in the Kotlin adoption post; the library exists to make tracing the path-of-least-resistance for every new backend service, so that tracing coverage keeps pace with service proliferation and traces can link requests across services for both automated alerting and debugging.

Seen in

• sources/2021-06-30-zalando-how-we-use-kotlin-for-backend-services — named as the recommended Kotlin-on-Spring-Boot tracing integration library in the Kotlin Guild's platform-default stack.

Status: OpenTracing is archived

OpenTracing was archived in 2019 when it merged with OpenCensus into OpenTelemetry. opentracing-toolbox continues to work via bridges, but new instrumentation should target OpenTelemetry. See systems/opentracing for the full status note.

Related

• systems/opentracing — the API the library implements.
• systems/opentelemetry — the successor standard.
• systems/spring-boot — primary integration target.
• companies/zalando