Question 1

How to add custom spans in Datadog Java APM?

Accepted Answer

Use the custom instrumentation API provided in the library to manually create spans for specific methods or code blocks. Refer to the API documentation for examples on using classes like Span and Scope to trace bespoke logic. This allows fine-grained control over what data is collected beyond automatic instrumentation.

Question 2

Datadog Java APM vs OpenTelemetry for Java: which is better?

Accepted Answer

Datadog Java APM is best for teams already using Datadog's ecosystem, offering seamless integration and automatic features. OpenTelemetry is more vendor-agnostic and suitable for multi-platform environments, but requires more setup and lacks built-in profiling compared to Datadog's comprehensive suite. Choose based on your observability platform preference and need for out-of-the-box functionality.

Question 3

What is the impact on application performance when using Datadog tracing?

Accepted Answer

Tracing introduces overhead from data collection and transmission, which can slightly increase CPU usage and latency, especially in high-throughput scenarios. The continuous profiler helps identify bottlenecks, but teams should monitor resource consumption and adjust sampling rates in configuration to balance observability with performance.

Question 4

How to set up Datadog APM with a Spring Boot application?

Accepted Answer

Add the Datadog Java APM agent as a JVM argument or use dependency injection with the library, then configure properties for your Datadog API key and service name. The automatic instrumentation supports Spring Boot out-of-the-box, so minimal code changes are needed—check the setup docs for specific steps and examples.

Question 5

Can I use Datadog Java APM without sending data to Datadog?

Accepted Answer

No, the library is designed to integrate with Datadog's backend for data visualization and analysis. While you might configure it to log locally, core features like tracing and profiling rely on Datadog's cloud services, making it unsuitable for offline or self-hosted-only deployments without significant workarounds.

Question 6

What frameworks are automatically instrumented by Datadog Java APM?

Accepted Answer

It supports a wide range including Spring, JAX-RS, JDBC, Kafka, and many others, as listed in the compatibility documentation. This allows for immediate visibility into common Java ecosystems without manual coding, but check the docs for the full list and version-specific support.

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