Distributed tracing

Distributed tracing is the process of mapping and analyzing requests as they flow through a distributed system. A trace represents a single request flow, which follows the path of a specific transaction or request from the origin point of the request, through an app, and back. A single trace can traverse hundreds of independent services that make up an app. When aggregated, engineers can use a collection of traces to identify issues related to app latency and diagnose errors.

Each trace contains one or more segments called spans. Each span is like a single unit of work, or a single operation within a trace. Spans have a parent/child relationship, and each span can include details like service name, operation name, operation duration, and additional metadata that describes the span. Combining this relationship with a timestamp enables assembling individual spans into a trace.

Traces are essential to provide a view of distributed systems based on the incoming and outgoing requests. This architecture can be complex and difficult to navigate as your app grows, making it more challenging to pinpoint issues. Distributed tracing provides insights into how and where data flows for individual requests, and where the source of a problem originates.

Learn about interacting with trace data in Chronosphere Observability Platform.