183-java-observability-tracing-opentelemetry

name	183-java-observability-tracing-opentelemetry
description	Use when you need to implement or improve distributed tracing with OpenTelemetry in Java — including trace/span modeling, context propagation, semantic conventions, span attributes/events/status, sampling strategy, baggage usage, privacy safeguards, and backend integration with OTLP collectors. This should trigger for requests such as Improve tracing; Apply OpenTelemetry tracing; Add distributed tracing; Refactor tracing instrumentation; Instrument Java services with OpenTelemetry spans. Part of Plinth Toolkit
license	Apache-2.0
metadata	{"author":"Juan Antonio Breña Moral","version":"0.18.0"}

Java Distributed Tracing with OpenTelemetry

Implement robust distributed tracing in Java with OpenTelemetry by modeling meaningful spans, preserving context propagation, and instrumenting critical business and infrastructure paths with low-overhead, privacy-safe telemetry.

What is covered in this Skill?

• OpenTelemetry tracing fundamentals for Java services
• Span design: boundaries, parent/child relationships, and operation naming
• Context propagation across HTTP, messaging, async tasks, and thread boundaries
• Semantic conventions and stable attribute naming
• Error/status/event recording best practices
• Sampling strategy and performance/cost trade-offs
• Privacy and security controls for trace attributes
• Testing and verification of trace propagation and span correctness

Distributed tracing quality in application and integration layers, focused on diagnosability, consistency, and operational safety.