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| 1 | +# Instrumenting Java applications with EDOT SDKs on Kubernetes |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +This document focuses on instrumenting Java applications on Kubernetes, using the OpenTelemetry Operator, Elastic Distribution of OpenTelemetry (EDOT) Collectors, and the [EDOT Java](https://github.com/elastic/elastic-otel-java) SDK. |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +- For general knowledge about the EDOT Java SDK, refer to the [getting started guide](https://github.com/elastic/elastic-otel-java/blob/main/docs/get-started.md). |
| 6 | +- For Java auto-instrumentation specifics, refer to [OpenTelemetry Operator Java auto-instrumentation](https://opentelemetry.io/docs/kubernetes/operator/automatic/#java). |
| 7 | +- For general information about instrumenting applications on kubernetes, refer to [instrumenting applications](./instrumenting-applications.md). |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +## Java agent extensions consideration |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +The operator supports a configuration that installs [Java agent extensions](https://opentelemetry.io/docs/zero-code/java/agent/extensions/) in `Instrumentation` objects. The extension needs to be available in an image. Refer to [using extensions with the OpenTelemetry Java agent](https://www.elastic.co/observability-labs/blog/using-the-otel-operator-for-injecting-elastic-agents#using-an-extension-with-the-opentelemetry-java-agent) for an example of adding an extension to an agent. |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +## Instrument a Java app with EDOT Java SDK on Kubernetes |
| 14 | + |
| 15 | +In this example, you'll learn how to: |
| 16 | + |
| 17 | +- Enable auto-instrumentation of a Java application using one of the following supported methods: |
| 18 | + - Adding an annotation to the deployment Pods. |
| 19 | + - Adding an annotation to the namespace. |
| 20 | +- Verify that auto-instrumentation libraries are injected and configured correctly. |
| 21 | +- Confirm data is flowing to **Kibana Observability**. |
| 22 | + |
| 23 | +For this example, we assume the application you're instrumenting is a deployment named `java-app` running in the `java-ns` namespace. |
| 24 | + |
| 25 | +1. Ensure you have successfully [installed the OpenTelemetry Operator](./README.md), and confirm that the following `Instrumentation` object exists in the system: |
| 26 | + |
| 27 | +```bash |
| 28 | +$ kubectl get instrumentation -n opentelemetry-operator-system |
| 29 | +NAME AGE ENDPOINT |
| 30 | +elastic-instrumentation 107s http://opentelemetry-kube-stack-daemon-collector.opentelemetry-operator-system.svc.cluster.local:4318 |
| 31 | +``` |
| 32 | +> [!NOTE] |
| 33 | +> If your `Instrumentation` object has a different name or is created in a different namespace, you will have to adapt the annotation value in the next step. |
| 34 | +
|
| 35 | +2. Enable auto-instrumentation of your Java application using one of the following methods: |
| 36 | + |
| 37 | + - Edit your application workload definition and include the annotation under `spec.template.metadata.annotations`: |
| 38 | + |
| 39 | + ```yaml |
| 40 | + kind: Deployment |
| 41 | + metadata: |
| 42 | + name: java-app |
| 43 | + namespace: java-ns |
| 44 | + spec: |
| 45 | + ... |
| 46 | + template: |
| 47 | + metadata: |
| 48 | + ... |
| 49 | + annotations: |
| 50 | + instrumentation.opentelemetry.io/inject-java: opentelemetry-operator-system/elastic-instrumentation |
| 51 | + ... |
| 52 | + ``` |
| 53 | + |
| 54 | + - Alternatively, add the annotation at namespace level to apply auto-instrumentation in all Pods of the namespace: |
| 55 | + |
| 56 | + ```bash |
| 57 | + kubectl annotate namespace java-ns instrumentation.opentelemetry.io/inject-java=opentelemetry-operator-system/elastic-instrumentation |
| 58 | + ``` |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | +3. Restart application |
| 61 | + |
| 62 | + Once the annotation has been set, restart the application to create new Pods and inject the instrumentation libraries: |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | + ```bash |
| 65 | + kubectl rollout restart deployment java-app -n java |
| 66 | + ``` |
| 67 | + |
| 68 | +4. Verify the [auto-instrumentation resources](./instrumenting-applications.md#how-auto-instrumentation-works) are injected in the Pod: |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | + Run a `kubectl describe` of one of your application Pods and check: |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | + - There should be an init container named `opentelemetry-auto-instrumentation-java` in the Pod: |
| 73 | + |
| 74 | + ```bash |
| 75 | + $ kubectl describe pod java-app-8d84c47b8-8h5z2 -n java |
| 76 | + Name: java-app-8d84c47b8-8h5z2 |
| 77 | + Namespace: java-ns |
| 78 | + ... |
| 79 | + ... |
| 80 | + Init Containers: |
| 81 | + opentelemetry-auto-instrumentation-java: |
| 82 | + Container ID: containerd://cbf67d7ca1bd62c25614b905a11e81405bed6fd215f2df21f84b90fd0279230b |
| 83 | + Image: docker.elastic.co/observability/elastic-otel-javaagent:1.0.0 |
| 84 | + Image ID: docker.elastic.co/observability/elastic-otel-javaagent@sha256:28d65d04a329c8d5545ed579d6c17f0d74800b7b1c5875e75e0efd29e210566a |
| 85 | + Port: <none> |
| 86 | + Host Port: <none> |
| 87 | + Command: |
| 88 | + cp |
| 89 | + /javaagent.jar |
| 90 | + /otel-auto-instrumentation-java/javaagent.jar |
| 91 | + State: Terminated |
| 92 | + Reason: Completed |
| 93 | + Exit Code: 0 |
| 94 | + Started: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 15:47:02 +0100 |
| 95 | + Finished: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 15:47:03 +0100 |
| 96 | + Ready: True |
| 97 | + Restart Count: 0 |
| 98 | + Environment: <none> |
| 99 | + Mounts: |
| 100 | + /otel-auto-instrumentation-java from opentelemetry-auto-instrumentation-java (rw) |
| 101 | + /var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount from kube-api-access-swhn5 (ro) |
| 102 | + ``` |
| 103 | + |
| 104 | + - The main container of the deployment is using the SDK as `javaagent`: |
| 105 | + |
| 106 | + ```bash |
| 107 | + ... |
| 108 | + Containers: |
| 109 | + java-app: |
| 110 | + Environment: |
| 111 | + ... |
| 112 | + JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS: -javaagent:/otel-auto-instrumentation-java/javaagent.jar |
| 113 | + OTEL_SERVICE_NAME: java-app |
| 114 | + OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT: http://opentelemetry-kube-stack-daemon-collector.opentelemetry-operator-system.svc.cluster.local:4318 |
| 115 | + ... |
| 116 | + ``` |
| 117 | + |
| 118 | + - The Pod has an `EmptyDir` volume named `opentelemetry-auto-instrumentation-java` mounted in both the main and the init containers in path `/otel-auto-instrumentation-java`. |
| 119 | + |
| 120 | + ```bash |
| 121 | + Init Containers: |
| 122 | + opentelemetry-auto-instrumentation-java: |
| 123 | + ... |
| 124 | + Mounts: |
| 125 | + /otel-auto-instrumentation-java from opentelemetry-auto-instrumentation-java (rw) |
| 126 | + Containers: |
| 127 | + java-app: |
| 128 | + ... |
| 129 | + Mounts: |
| 130 | + /otel-auto-instrumentation-java from opentelemetry-auto-instrumentation-java (rw) |
| 131 | + ... |
| 132 | + Volumes: |
| 133 | + ... |
| 134 | + opentelemetry-auto-instrumentation-java: |
| 135 | + Type: EmptyDir (a temporary directory that shares a pod's lifetime) |
| 136 | + ``` |
| 137 | + |
| 138 | + Ensure the environment variable `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT` points to a valid endpoint and there's network communication between the Pod and the endpoint. |
| 139 | + |
| 140 | +5. Confirm data is flowing to **Kibana**: |
| 141 | + |
| 142 | + - Open **Observability** -> **Applications** -> **Service inventory**, and determine if: |
| 143 | + - The application appears in the list of services. |
| 144 | + - The application shows transactions and metrics. |
| 145 | + |
| 146 | + - For application container logs, open **Kibana Discover** and filter for your Pods' logs. In the provided example, we could filter for them with either of the following: |
| 147 | + - `k8s.deployment.name: "java-app"` (**adapt the query filter to your use case**) |
| 148 | + - `k8s.pod.name: java-app*` (**adapt the query filter to your use case**) |
| 149 | + |
| 150 | + Note that the container logs are not provided by the instrumentation library, but by the DaemonSet collector deployed as part of the [operator installation](./README.md). |
| 151 | + |
| 152 | +## Troubleshooting |
| 153 | + |
| 154 | +- Refer to [troubleshoot auto-instrumentation](./troubleshoot-auto-instrumentation.md) for further analysis. |
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