HCP Consul Central's new observability features were recently used by a customer to help troubleshoot an issue with assistance from HashiCorp engineers, illustrating the importance of observability in modern software systems. Observability enables operators to understand the internal state of a system based on data it generates, allowing them to notice issues faster, pinpoint the root cause, and fix it. HCP Consul Central's observability features provide actionable insights into the health of Consul infrastructure, including metrics, traces, and logs, helping operators troubleshoot issues more efficiently. The customer's experience with a non-responsive cluster demonstrates how these features can cut troubleshooting time significantly and increase operator confidence. HashiCorp is committed to enhancing its observability features to provide a holistic view of infrastructure, shedding light into interservice communication relationships, and reducing friction for Consul operators.