configuring-opentelemetry-dotnet
Compare original and translation side by side
🇺🇸
Original
English🇨🇳
Translation
ChineseConfiguring OpenTelemetry in .NET
在.NET中配置OpenTelemetry
When to Use
适用场景
- Adding distributed tracing to an ASP.NET Core application
- Setting up OpenTelemetry exporters (OTLP is the primary protocol; Jaeger accepts OTLP natively; Prometheus OTLP ingestion requires explicit opt-in)
- Creating custom metrics or trace spans for business operations
- Troubleshooting distributed trace context propagation across services
- 为ASP.NET Core应用添加分布式追踪
- 配置OpenTelemetry导出器(OTLP是核心协议;Jaeger原生支持OTLP;Prometheus OTLP摄入需要显式开启)
- 为业务操作创建自定义指标或追踪跨度
- 排查跨服务的分布式追踪上下文传播问题
When Not to Use
不适用场景
- The user wants application-level logging only (use ILogger, Serilog)
- The user is using Application Insights SDK directly (different API)
- The user needs APM with a commercial vendor's proprietary SDK
- 用户仅需要应用层日志(直接使用ILogger、Serilog即可)
- 用户直接使用Application Insights SDK(API不同)
- 用户需要商用厂商专属SDK提供的APM能力
Inputs
所需输入
| Input | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ASP.NET Core project | Yes | The application to instrument |
| Observability backend | No | Where to export: OTLP collector, Aspire dashboard, Jaeger (accepts OTLP natively) |
| 输入 | 必填 | 描述 |
|---|---|---|
| ASP.NET Core 项目 | 是 | 待埋点的应用程序 |
| 可观测性后端 | 否 | 导出目标:OTLP采集器、Aspire仪表盘、Jaeger(原生支持OTLP) |
Workflow
操作流程
Step 1: Install the correct packages
步骤1:安装正确的依赖包
There are many OpenTelemetry NuGet packages. Install exactly these:
bash
undefinedOpenTelemetry的NuGet包数量很多,请严格安装以下包:
bash
undefinedCore SDK + ASP.NET Core instrumentation + logging integration
Core SDK + ASP.NET Core instrumentation + logging integration
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Extensions.Hosting
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.AspNetCore
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.Http
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Extensions.Hosting
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.AspNetCore
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.Http
Exporter
Exporter
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Exporter.OpenTelemetryProtocol # OTLP exporter for traces, metrics, AND logs
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Exporter.OpenTelemetryProtocol # OTLP exporter for traces, metrics, AND logs
Optional — dev/local debugging only (do NOT include in production deployments)
Optional — dev/local debugging only (do NOT include in production deployments)
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Exporter.Console
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Exporter.Console
**Do NOT install `OpenTelemetry` alone** — you need `OpenTelemetry.Extensions.Hosting` for proper DI integration.
**请勿单独安装`OpenTelemetry`包** —— 你需要安装`OpenTelemetry.Extensions.Hosting`来实现正确的依赖注入集成。Optional: additional auto-instrumentation packages
可选:额外的自动埋点包
Install only the packages that match the libraries your application uses:
bash
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.SqlClient # SQL Server queries
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.EntityFrameworkCore # EF Core
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.GrpcNetClient # gRPC calls
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.Runtime # GC, thread pool metrics仅安装与你的应用使用的类库匹配的包:
bash
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.SqlClient # SQL Server queries
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.EntityFrameworkCore # EF Core
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.GrpcNetClient # gRPC calls
dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.Runtime # GC, thread pool metricsStep 2: Configure all signals in Program.cs
步骤2:在Program.cs中配置所有信号
csharp
using OpenTelemetry.Resources;
using OpenTelemetry.Trace;
using OpenTelemetry.Metrics;
using OpenTelemetry.Logs;
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddOpenTelemetry()
.ConfigureResource(resource => resource
.AddService(serviceName: builder.Environment.ApplicationName))
.WithTracing(tracing => tracing
.AddAspNetCoreInstrumentation(options =>
{
// Filter out health check endpoints from traces
options.Filter = httpContext =>
!httpContext.Request.Path.StartsWithSegments("/healthz");
})
.AddHttpClientInstrumentation(options =>
{
options.RecordException = true;
})
// Optional: add SQL instrumentation if using SqlClient directly
// .AddSqlClientInstrumentation(options =>
// {
// options.SetDbStatementForText = true;
// options.RecordException = true;
// })
// Custom activity sources (must match ActivitySource names in your code)
.AddSource("MyApp.Orders")
.AddSource("MyApp.Payments")
.AddSource("MyApp.Messaging"))
.WithMetrics(metrics => metrics
.AddAspNetCoreInstrumentation()
.AddHttpClientInstrumentation()
// Optional: .AddRuntimeInstrumentation() for GC and thread pool metrics
// (requires OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.Runtime package)
// Custom meters (must match Meter names in your code)
.AddMeter("MyApp.Metrics"))
.WithLogging(logging =>
{
logging.IncludeScopes = true;
// logging.IncludeFormattedMessage = true; // Enable if you need the formatted message string in log exports
})
// Single OTLP exporter for all signals — reads OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT
// env var (defaults to http://localhost:4317). Override via environment variable
// or appsettings.json configuration.
.UseOtlpExporter();csharp
using OpenTelemetry.Resources;
using OpenTelemetry.Trace;
using OpenTelemetry.Metrics;
using OpenTelemetry.Logs;
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddOpenTelemetry()
.ConfigureResource(resource => resource
.AddService(serviceName: builder.Environment.ApplicationName))
.WithTracing(tracing => tracing
.AddAspNetCoreInstrumentation(options =>
{
// Filter out health check endpoints from traces
options.Filter = httpContext =>
!httpContext.Request.Path.StartsWithSegments("/healthz");
})
.AddHttpClientInstrumentation(options =>
{
options.RecordException = true;
})
// Optional: add SQL instrumentation if using SqlClient directly
// .AddSqlClientInstrumentation(options =>
// {
// options.SetDbStatementForText = true;
// options.RecordException = true;
// })
// Custom activity sources (must match ActivitySource names in your code)
.AddSource("MyApp.Orders")
.AddSource("MyApp.Payments")
.AddSource("MyApp.Messaging"))
.WithMetrics(metrics => metrics
.AddAspNetCoreInstrumentation()
.AddHttpClientInstrumentation()
// Optional: .AddRuntimeInstrumentation() for GC and thread pool metrics
// (requires OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.Runtime package)
// Custom meters (must match Meter names in your code)
.AddMeter("MyApp.Metrics"))
.WithLogging(logging =>
{
logging.IncludeScopes = true;
// logging.IncludeFormattedMessage = true; // Enable if you need the formatted message string in log exports
})
// Single OTLP exporter for all signals — reads OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT
// env var (defaults to http://localhost:4317). Override via environment variable
// or appsettings.json configuration.
.UseOtlpExporter();Step 3: Understanding log–trace correlation
步骤3:理解日志与追踪的关联逻辑
The call in Step 2 integrates ILogger with OpenTelemetry:
.WithLogging()- Each log entry automatically includes TraceId and SpanId for correlation with traces
- The service resource from propagates to logs automatically
.ConfigureResource() - applies to logs alongside traces and metrics
UseOtlpExporter() - No additional packages or separate call needed
SetResourceBuilder
步骤2中的调用将ILogger与OpenTelemetry集成:
.WithLogging()- 每条日志条目会自动包含TraceId和SpanId,用于和追踪关联
- 来自的服务资源会自动同步到日志中
.ConfigureResource() - 会同时应用于日志、追踪和指标
UseOtlpExporter() - 不需要额外的包,也不需要单独调用
SetResourceBuilder
Step 4: Create custom spans (Activities) for business operations
步骤4:为业务操作创建自定义跨度(Activities)
csharp
using System.Diagnostics;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
public class OrderService
{
// Create an ActivitySource matching what you registered in Step 2
private static readonly ActivitySource ActivitySource = new("MyApp.Orders");
private readonly ILogger<OrderService> _logger;
public OrderService(ILogger<OrderService> logger) => _logger = logger;
public async Task<Order> ProcessOrderAsync(CreateOrderRequest request)
{
// Start a new span
using var activity = ActivitySource.StartActivity("ProcessOrder");
// Add attributes (tags) to the span
activity?.SetTag("order.customer_id", request.CustomerId);
activity?.SetTag("order.item_count", request.Items.Count);
try
{
// Child span for validation
using (var validationActivity = ActivitySource.StartActivity("ValidateOrder"))
{
await ValidateOrderAsync(request);
validationActivity?.SetTag("validation.result", "passed");
}
// Child span for payment
using (var paymentActivity = ActivitySource.StartActivity("ProcessPayment",
ActivityKind.Client)) // Client = outgoing call
{
paymentActivity?.SetTag("payment.method", request.PaymentMethod);
await ProcessPaymentAsync(request);
}
var order = new Order { Id = Guid.NewGuid(), CustomerId = request.CustomerId, Status = "Completed" };
activity?.SetTag("order.status", "completed");
activity?.SetStatus(ActivityStatusCode.Ok);
return order;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
activity?.SetStatus(ActivityStatusCode.Error, ex.Message);
// Log via ILogger — OpenTelemetry captures this with trace correlation.
// Prefer logging over activity.RecordException() as OTel is deprecating
// span events for exception recording in favor of log-based exceptions.
_logger.LogError(ex, "Order processing failed for customer {CustomerId}", request.CustomerId);
throw;
}
}
}Critical: name must match in configuration. Unmatched sources are silently ignored — this is the #1 debugging issue.
ActivitySourceAddSource("...")csharp
using System.Diagnostics;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
public class OrderService
{
// Create an ActivitySource matching what you registered in Step 2
private static readonly ActivitySource ActivitySource = new("MyApp.Orders");
private readonly ILogger<OrderService> _logger;
public OrderService(ILogger<OrderService> logger) => _logger = logger;
public async Task<Order> ProcessOrderAsync(CreateOrderRequest request)
{
// Start a new span
using var activity = ActivitySource.StartActivity("ProcessOrder");
// Add attributes (tags) to the span
activity?.SetTag("order.customer_id", request.CustomerId);
activity?.SetTag("order.item_count", request.Items.Count);
try
{
// Child span for validation
using (var validationActivity = ActivitySource.StartActivity("ValidateOrder"))
{
await ValidateOrderAsync(request);
validationActivity?.SetTag("validation.result", "passed");
}
// Child span for payment
using (var paymentActivity = ActivitySource.StartActivity("ProcessPayment",
ActivityKind.Client)) // Client = outgoing call
{
paymentActivity?.SetTag("payment.method", request.PaymentMethod);
await ProcessPaymentAsync(request);
}
var order = new Order { Id = Guid.NewGuid(), CustomerId = request.CustomerId, Status = "Completed" };
activity?.SetTag("order.status", "completed");
activity?.SetStatus(ActivityStatusCode.Ok);
return order;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
activity?.SetStatus(ActivityStatusCode.Error, ex.Message);
// Log via ILogger — OpenTelemetry captures this with trace correlation.
// Prefer logging over activity.RecordException() as OTel is deprecating
// span events for exception recording in favor of log-based exceptions.
_logger.LogError(ex, "Order processing failed for customer {CustomerId}", request.CustomerId);
throw;
}
}
}关键注意点:的名称必须与配置中的参数完全一致。 不匹配的来源会被静默忽略——这是最常见的调试问题。
ActivitySourceAddSource("...")Step 5: Create custom metrics
步骤5:创建自定义指标
Use (injected via DI) to create meters — this ensures proper lifetime management and testability.
IMeterFactorycsharp
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Diagnostics.Metrics;
public class OrderMetrics
{
private readonly Counter<long> _ordersProcessed;
private readonly Histogram<double> _orderProcessingDuration;
private readonly UpDownCounter<int> _activeOrders;
public OrderMetrics(IMeterFactory meterFactory)
{
// Meter name must match AddMeter("...") in configuration
var meter = meterFactory.Create("MyApp.Metrics");
// Counter — use for things that only go up
_ordersProcessed = meter.CreateCounter<long>(
"orders.processed", "orders", "Total orders successfully processed");
// Histogram — use for measuring distributions (latency, sizes)
_orderProcessingDuration = meter.CreateHistogram<double>(
"orders.processing_duration", "ms", "Time to process an order");
// UpDownCounter — use for things that go up AND down
_activeOrders = meter.CreateUpDownCounter<int>(
"orders.active", "orders", "Currently processing orders");
}
public void RecordOrderProcessed(string region, double durationMs)
{
// Tags enable dimensional filtering (by region, status, etc.)
var tags = new TagList
{
{ "region", region },
{ "order.type", "standard" }
};
_ordersProcessed.Add(1, tags);
_orderProcessingDuration.Record(durationMs, tags);
}
}Register in DI:
OrderMetricscsharp
builder.Services.AddSingleton<OrderMetrics>();使用通过依赖注入获取的来创建Meter——这可以保证正确的生命周期管理和可测试性。
IMeterFactorycsharp
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Diagnostics.Metrics;
public class OrderMetrics
{
private readonly Counter<long> _ordersProcessed;
private readonly Histogram<double> _orderProcessingDuration;
private readonly UpDownCounter<int> _activeOrders;
public OrderMetrics(IMeterFactory meterFactory)
{
// Meter name must match AddMeter("...") in configuration
var meter = meterFactory.Create("MyApp.Metrics");
// Counter — use for things that only go up
_ordersProcessed = meter.CreateCounter<long>(
"orders.processed", "orders", "Total orders successfully processed");
// Histogram — use for measuring distributions (latency, sizes)
_orderProcessingDuration = meter.CreateHistogram<double>(
"orders.processing_duration", "ms", "Time to process an order");
// UpDownCounter — use for things that go up AND down
_activeOrders = meter.CreateUpDownCounter<int>(
"orders.active", "orders", "Currently processing orders");
}
public void RecordOrderProcessed(string region, double durationMs)
{
// Tags enable dimensional filtering (by region, status, etc.)
var tags = new TagList
{
{ "region", region },
{ "order.type", "standard" }
};
_ordersProcessed.Add(1, tags);
_orderProcessingDuration.Record(durationMs, tags);
}
}将注册到依赖注入容器:
OrderMetricscsharp
builder.Services.AddSingleton<OrderMetrics>();Step 6: Configure context propagation for distributed scenarios
步骤6:为分布式场景配置上下文传播
Trace context propagation is automatic for HTTP calls when using . For non-HTTP scenarios:
AddHttpClientInstrumentation()csharp
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Diagnostics;
using OpenTelemetry.Context.Propagation;
// ActivitySource should be static — register via .AddSource("MyApp.Messaging") in Step 2
private static readonly ActivitySource MessageSource = new("MyApp.Messaging");
// Manual context propagation (e.g., across message queues)
// On the SENDING side:
var propagator = Propagators.DefaultTextMapPropagator;
var activityContext = Activity.Current?.Context ?? default;
var context = new PropagationContext(activityContext, Baggage.Current);
var carrier = new Dictionary<string, string>();
propagator.Inject(context, carrier, (dict, key, value) => dict[key] = value);
// Send carrier dictionary as message headers
// On the RECEIVING side:
var parentContext = propagator.Extract(default, carrier,
(dict, key) => dict.TryGetValue(key, out var value) ? new[] { value } : Array.Empty<string>());
Baggage.Current = parentContext.Baggage;
using var activity = MessageSource.StartActivity("ProcessMessage",
ActivityKind.Consumer,
parentContext.ActivityContext); // Links to parent trace!当使用时,HTTP调用的追踪上下文传播是自动完成的。对于非HTTP场景:
AddHttpClientInstrumentation()csharp
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Diagnostics;
using OpenTelemetry.Context.Propagation;
// ActivitySource should be static — register via .AddSource("MyApp.Messaging") in Step 2
private static readonly ActivitySource MessageSource = new("MyApp.Messaging");
// Manual context propagation (e.g., across message queues)
// On the SENDING side:
var propagator = Propagators.DefaultTextMapPropagator;
var activityContext = Activity.Current?.Context ?? default;
var context = new PropagationContext(activityContext, Baggage.Current);
var carrier = new Dictionary<string, string>();
propagator.Inject(context, carrier, (dict, key, value) => dict[key] = value);
// Send carrier dictionary as message headers
// On the RECEIVING side:
var parentContext = propagator.Extract(default, carrier,
(dict, key) => dict.TryGetValue(key, out var value) ? new[] { value } : Array.Empty<string>());
Baggage.Current = parentContext.Baggage;
using var activity = MessageSource.StartActivity("ProcessMessage",
ActivityKind.Consumer,
parentContext.ActivityContext); // Links to parent trace!Validation
验证项
- Traces appear in the observability backend (Jaeger, Aspire dashboard, etc.)
- HTTP requests automatically create spans with correct verb, URL, status code
- Custom names match
ActivitySourceregistrationsAddSource() - Custom names match
MeterregistrationsAddMeter() - Logs include TraceId and SpanId for correlation
- Health check endpoints are filtered from traces
- Exception details appear on error spans
- 追踪数据出现在可观测性后端(Jaeger、Aspire仪表盘等)
- HTTP请求会自动创建包含正确请求方法、URL、状态码的跨度
- 自定义名称与
ActivitySource注册的名称匹配AddSource() - 自定义名称与
Meter注册的名称匹配AddMeter() - 日志包含TraceId和SpanId用于关联
- 健康检查端点已从追踪中过滤
- 错误跨度上显示异常详情
Common Pitfalls
常见问题
| Pitfall | Solution |
|---|---|
| Source name doesn't match any |
| Traces not appearing in exporter | Check OTLP endpoint: gRPC uses port 4317, HTTP uses 4318 |
| Missing HTTP client spans | Ensure |
| High cardinality tags | Don't use user IDs, request IDs, or UUIDs as metric tags — explodes storage |
| OTLP gRPC vs HTTP mismatch | Default is gRPC (port 4317); if collector only accepts HTTP, set |
| |
| 问题 | 解决方案 |
|---|---|
| 来源名称与任意 |
| 追踪数据没有出现在导出目标中 | 检查OTLP端点:gRPC使用4317端口,HTTP使用4318端口 |
| 缺少HTTP客户端跨度 | 确保已经注册 |
| 高基数标签 | 不要将用户ID、请求ID或者UUID作为指标标签 —— 会导致存储量激增 |
| OTLP gRPC与HTTP协议不匹配 | 默认使用gRPC(4317端口);如果采集器仅接受HTTP,请设置 |
| |