OpenTelemetry is an open-source standard for instrumenting cloud-native applications for generating different types of telemetry data. A robust observability framework set up using OpenTelemetry can help tremendously while troubleshooting software in production. Nginx is one of the most widely adopted web servers. Most often, nginx is used as a reverse proxy. It serves the frontend or backend applications behind the reverse proxy.

When telemetry data (collected from system sources in observability) is analyzed collectively it provides insights into the relationships and dependencies within a distributed system. OpenTelemetry standardizes the collection and transmission of telemetry data to backend platforms, closing visibility gaps by offering a unified instrumentation format across all services.

Health check monitoring is a critical practice for maintaining reliable and high-performing systems. It allows you to proactively identify and address issues before they impact your users. This guide explores the fundamentals of health check monitoring, its importance in modern systems, and practical strategies for implementation. You will also learn how HTTP endpoints can be monitored with OpenTelemetry.

Having the right tools to support debugging is crucial for improving application performance and delivering an enhanced user experience. Traditional observability tools provide insights into application health and with a shift towards actionability, they also directly aid in the debuggability of your system, helping you pinpoint the root cause of issues in real-time.

OpenTelemetry, OTel, is an incredible open-source observability framework that helps you collect, process, and export trace data. It's super valuable for engineers who want to understand their systems better. At the heart of this framework lies the OpenTelemetry Collector, a pivotal component that turns raw traces into useful metrics. Let’s explore the importance of the OpenTelemetry Collector and show you how it makes it easier for engineers to make sense of data.

Ensuring your applications are reliable and performant is more critical now than ever. This need has driven the rise of observability practices, where developers and operations teams closely monitor their applications’ health, performance, and behavior. This is where OpenTelemetry (OTel) comes into play.

This guide explains the key aspects of the OpenTelemetry Collector, including its features, use cases, and practical tips for managing telemetry data effectively.