Adopting observability with OpenTelemetry

OpenTelemetry, a rapidly evolving open-source observability project, recently achieved a significant milestone with the stabilization of its metrics capabilities, marking an important step for the software development and site reliability engineering communities in enhancing application observability. The project comprises various components including APIs, SDKs, and protocols, which are at different stages of maturity across languages like Java, .NET, and Go, with tracing being the most developed. While OpenTelemetry offers a standardized approach to generate telemetry signals such as traces, metrics, and logs, it is not a standalone observability platform and requires integration with platforms like New Relic for data analysis and visualization. Adoption of OpenTelemetry can be complex due to its novelty and diverse implementation statuses, necessitating careful planning and consideration of project goals, instrumentation methods, and architecture decisions to ensure effective deployment and utilization. As the project continues to mature, particularly in its metrics and logging capabilities, organizations are encouraged to adopt a phased approach and leverage platforms that support OpenTelemetry to maximize the benefits of observability.