Adding Observability to Serverless

Introduction

Observability is crucial for understanding systems, especially in serverless architectures where traditional monitoring methods may not provide adequate insights. This lesson discusses how to add observability to serverless applications, focusing on logging, tracing, and monitoring.

Key Concepts

Implementation

To add observability to serverless applications, follow these steps:

1. Choose an Observability Tool: Select a tool like AWS CloudWatch, Datadog, or New Relic.
2. Instrument Your Code: Use libraries and SDKs to add logging and tracing.

   const { createLogger, transports } = require('winston');
   
   const logger = createLogger({
       level: 'info',
       format: winston.format.json(),
       transports: [
           new transports.Console(),
           new transports.File({ filename: 'error.log', level: 'error' }),
           new transports.File({ filename: 'combined.log' }),
       ],
   });
   
   exports.handler = async (event) => {
       logger.info('Event received', { event });
       // Your function logic
   };
                       

3. Enable Tracing: Use distributed tracing to gain insights into service interactions.

   const AWSXRay = require('aws-xray-sdk');
   
   AWSXRay.captureAWS(require('aws-sdk'));
   
   exports.handler = AWSXRay.captureHandler(async (event) => {
       // Your function logic
   });
                       

4. Configure Alerts: Set up alerts for anomalies in logs or performance.
5. Visualize Data: Use dashboards to visualize metrics and logs.

Best Practices

• Log meaningful messages to aid debugging.
• Use structured logging for better querying.
• Regularly review and refine observability strategy.
• Train your team on tools and best practices.

FAQ