Trace context

traceparent HTTP header. traceId (128-bit) + spanId (64-bit) + flags. Passed through service chain.

Advertisement

Baggage

Optional key-value context. Not for high-cardinality. user_id, request_type. Propagated with trace context.

Advertisement

Sampling strategies

Head: decide at trace start. Simple + biased. Tail: decide after completion. Keep interesting (errors, slow). Cost-benefit.