How to instrument code: Custom metrics vs APM vs OpenTracing.

Jorge Salamero Sanz's blog post explores the various methods of code instrumentation, focusing on custom metrics, Application Performance Management (APM), and OpenTracing. The text elaborates on the importance of monitoring applications to prevent issues and enhance user experience, emphasizing that monitoring aids in troubleshooting and maintaining application performance. It contrasts the strengths and limitations of custom metrics and APM, noting that custom metrics provide full stack visibility and are lightweight, while APM offers transaction-level observability but can be resource-intensive. OpenTracing is presented as a standard for distributed tracing, complementing both methods. The choice between these tools depends on specific needs, such as whether the focus is on code-related issues or infrastructure performance. The article also provides insight into implementing custom metrics in various programming languages, highlighting the necessity for developers to understand their application’s behavior to identify and resolve issues effectively.