Here’s the step-by-step guide to set up OpenTelemetry for export Permify traces, metrics and logs.

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Step 1: Install OpenTelemetry in Your Environment

To set up OpenTelemetry, you’ll need to install the OpenTelemetry Collector. You can run it via Docker using the following command: 
docker run --rm -it -p 4317:4317 -p 4318:4318 otel/opentelemetry-collector:latest
This command runs the OpenTelemetry Collector, exposing the necessary ports for receiving telemetry data.

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Step 2: Configure Permify for OpenTelemetry Tracing

In your configuration file, set up OpenTelemetry as the exporter and provide the endpoint for exporting traces. Here’s an example configuration: 
tracer:
  exporter: otlp
  endpoint: http://localhost:4317
  enabled: true
  insecure: true
Explanation:
  • exporter: otlp: Specifies that OpenTelemetry (OTLP) will be used as the exporter.
  • endpoint: http://localhost:4317: This is the default OpenTelemetry Collector endpoint for receiving traces.
  • enabled: true: Enables the tracing feature.
  • insecure: true: Uses HTTP instead of HTTPS for exporting traces.
Refer to the Configuration section for more details on how to use the configuration file. You can also use environment variables (ENVs) for this.

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Step 3: Start Permify with OpenTelemetry Configuration

Ensure that your configuration file is loaded when starting Permify, and confirm that the OpenTelemetry Collector is running. Permify will now start sending trace data to the OpenTelemetry Collector.

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Step 4: View Traces in Your Chosen UI

Once the setup is complete and your application begins sending traces, you can view the trace data in a backend such as Jaeger, Zipkin, Dash0 or any system supported by the OpenTelemetry Collector.

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Meter Configuration

We also have a meter configuration section in the Permify configuration file, which allows you to use the OpenTelemetry Collector to export metric data to other sources, such as ClickHouse. Definition: Configuration for observing metrics like check count, cache check count as well as system details such as Permify version, hostname, OS, and architecture. Structure: 
meter:
  exporter: otlp
  endpoint: http://localhost:4317
  enabled: true
  insecure: true
  urlpath: /v1/metrics
RequiredArgumentDefaultDescription
[x]exporterotlpotlp is the default.
[x]endpoint-The export URI for metric observation.
[ ]enabledtrueSwitch option for meter tracing.
[ ]urlpath/v1/metricsAllows you to override the default URL path for metrics export.
[ ]insecurefalseWhether to use HTTP instead of HTTPS for exporting metrics.

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Example: Exporting Metrics to OpenTelemetry Collector

To export metrics to the OpenTelemetry Collector, you can configure your meter section like this: 
meter:
  enabled: true
  exporter: otlp
  endpoint: collector:4317
  insecure: true
  urlpath: /v1/metrics
In this setup:
  • endpoint: http://collector:4317: This is the URL of your OpenTelemetry Collector instance for receiving metrics data.
  • urlpath: /v1/metrics: The URL path used for sending the metrics (you can override it as needed).