OpenTelemetry explained: one standard for traces, metrics and logs

The three signals

• Traces: the path of one request through many services.
• Metrics: numbers over time, such as request rate or error rate.
• Logs: records of events.

The pieces

• APIs and SDKs for your language, to create telemetry in code.
• Auto-instrumentation for common libraries.
• OTLP, the protocol for sending telemetry.
• The Collector, a service that receives, processes and forwards telemetry to one or more backends.

Why it matters

Because the instrumentation is standard, switching or adding a backend does not mean re-instrumenting every service. That lowers lock-in and makes consistent telemetry across teams realistic.

Getting started

1. Pick one service and add auto-instrumentation.
2. Run a Collector and send data to a backend.
3. Add custom spans for your key business operations.
4. Agree naming conventions across teams.

IICTP is a new independent credential and is not ISO/IEC 17024 accredited.