How to migrate from zalando/tracer to OpenTracing Toolbox?

Use the opentracing-flowid module, which directly replaces zalando/tracer by supporting X-Flow-ID header propagation. Refer to the module's README for integration steps and configuration details specific to your OpenTracing setup.

OpenTracing Toolbox vs opentracing-contrib java-jdbc: which is better?

OpenTracing Toolbox's opentracing-jdbc module competes with opentracing-contrib/java-jdbc, offering similar functionality with potentially better defaults for Zalando's use cases. Choose based on your specific needs; Toolbox might integrate smoother if you're already using other Zalando extensions, but opentracing-contrib has broader community support.

Is OpenTracing Toolbox still supported for new projects?

No, it's in maintenance mode with only bug fixes, as OpenTracing has been archived. The README recommends migrating to OpenTelemetry for new projects, so it's not ideal for long-term adoption.

How to set up JDBC tracing with OpenTracing Toolbox in a Spring Boot app?

Add the opentracing-jdbc dependency to your project and configure it with your data source. The module provides sensible defaults, but you may need to adjust settings based on your OpenTracing tracer, and ensure compatibility with Spring's auto-configuration.

What are the performance implications of using OpenTracing Toolbox?

The toolbox is designed with minimal overhead and production-ready utilities, but tracing always adds some latency. Use proper sampling and configuration, especially with JDBC or proxy modules, to mitigate performance impact in high-throughput applications.

Can I use OpenTracing Toolbox with OpenTelemetry?

Not directly, as it's built on the deprecated OpenTracing standard. You'll need to migrate your entire tracing setup to OpenTelemetry using their migration guide, and the toolbox modules won't be compatible without significant rework or bridging layers.

Open-Awesome

Tracer

MITJava4.2.4

A collection of OpenTracing utilities, instrumentations, and extensions for Java applications, now in maintenance mode.

GitHub

180 stars46 forks0 contributors

What is Tracer?

OpenTracing Toolbox is a collection of Java libraries that provide utilities, instrumentations, and extensions for the OpenTracing distributed tracing framework. It solves the problem of extending OpenTracing with production-ready components for specific use cases like JDBC tracing, Spring integration, and header propagation. The project is now in maintenance mode as OpenTracing has been archived, with users encouraged to migrate to OpenTelemetry.

Target Audience

Java developers and teams implementing distributed tracing in microservices architectures using the OpenTracing standard. Particularly useful for organizations needing specific extensions like FlowID compatibility or enhanced Spring integration.

Value Proposition

Developers choose OpenTracing Toolbox because it provides production-tested, specialized extensions to OpenTracing with sensible defaults and minimal configuration. It offers direct alternatives to some opentracing-contrib modules with potentially better integration for specific use cases.

Overview

Best-of-breed OpenTracing utilities, instrumentations and extensions

Use Cases

Best For

Adding FlowID header propagation to existing OpenTracing implementations
Instrumenting JDBC database calls in Java applications with OpenTracing
Extending OpenTracing's Servlet filter with additional functionality
Enhancing OpenTracing integration in Spring Web and Webflux applications
Creating custom OpenTracing proxies with listener and interceptor support
Migrating from the deprecated zalando/tracer library to OpenTracing

Not Ideal For

New projects starting distributed tracing from scratch
Teams requiring active feature development or long-term support beyond bug fixes
Organizations migrating or planning to migrate to OpenTelemetry soon
Applications needing a standalone, all-in-one tracing solution without OpenTracing dependencies

Pros & Cons

Pros

FlowID Compatibility

Seamlessly replaces the deprecated zalando/tracer library by supporting X-Flow-ID header propagation on top of OpenTracing, as detailed in the README.

JDBC Instrumentation

Provides a direct competitor to opentracing-contrib/java-jdbc for tracing database calls, with production-ready defaults and sensible configurations.

Spring Integration Enhancements

Extends OpenTracing's Spring Web and Webflux support with additional functionality, improving usability for Spring-based applications, as mentioned in the module READMEs.

Sensible Defaults

Comes with practical default configurations for common tracing scenarios, reducing setup time and complexity for production use.

Cons

Deprecated Foundation

Built on OpenTracing, which has been archived by CNCF, leaving the project in maintenance mode with no new features or updates, as stated upfront in the README.

Migration Overhead

Requires eventual migration to OpenTelemetry, adding technical debt and effort for teams, since the README actively encourages moving away from this toolbox.

Extension Complexity

Modules are extensions to existing OpenTracing libraries, making setup more involved and dependent on specific OpenTracing implementations, rather than being standalone solutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

leakcanary

A memory leak detection library for Android.

Stars29,958

Forks3,987

Last commit2 days ago

Zipkin

Zipkin is a distributed tracing system

Stars17,447

Forks3,102

Last commit3 months ago

async-profiler

Sampling CPU and HEAP profiler for Java featuring AsyncGetCallTrace + perf_events

Stars9,093

Forks976

Last commit10 hours ago

BTrace

Production-safe dynamic tracing and diagnostics for Java applications—attach to live JVMs with no restart or recompilation.

Stars5,986

Forks958

Last commit15 hours ago

Community-curated · Updated weekly · 100% open source

Found a gem we're missing?

Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.

Submit a project Star on GitHub