OpenTelemetry Specification

1. Overview

   Signals, API vs SDK, data collection architecture and semantic conventions.

2. Context and propagation

   Context API and propagators for carrying trace context.

3. Baggage API

   Name/value pairs propagated alongside a request.

4. Trace API

   Tracer, Span, SpanContext, SpanKind and span status.

5. Trace SDK

   Samplers, span processors and exporters.

6. Metrics API

   Meter and instruments: counter, histogram, gauge, up-down counter.

7. Metrics SDK

   Views, aggregation, temporality and exemplars.

8. Metrics data model

   Sum, gauge, histogram and exponential histogram data points.

9. Logs data model

   LogRecord fields: timestamp, severity, body and trace correlation.

10. Resource SDK

    Describing the entity producing telemetry.

11. SDK environment variables

    OTEL_* configuration variables.

Each section links to the official page. Titles and summaries by Extra Credit; the docs belong to their authors.

• OCI Distribution Specification
• OCI Image Format Specification
• OCI Runtime Specification
• OpenMetrics Specification
• OpenTelemetry Protocol (OTLP)
• OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions
• Prometheus Exposition Format
• SLSA Specification
• Syslog Protocol (RFC 5424)
• The Twelve-Factor App
• W3C Baggage
• W3C Trace Context