Jaeger Setup and Usage

Jaeger is an open-source, end-to-end distributed tracing system used for monitoring and troubleshooting microservices-based architectures. It helps visualize the flow of requests through services, facilitates performance optimization, and provides insights into service dependencies.

Jaeger can be installed using different methods. Below are the recommended ways to get started:

1. Using Docker:

docker run -d --name jaeger \
  -e COLLECTOR_ZIPKIN_HTTP_PORT=9411 \
  -p 5775:5775 \
  -p 6831:6831/udp \
  -p 6832:6832/udp \
  -p 5778:5778 \
  -p 16686:16686 \
  -p 14268:14268 \
  -p 14250:14250 \
  jaegertracing/all-in-one:1.29

2. Using Kubernetes:

kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jaegertracing/jaeger/master/deploy/kubernetes/jaeger.yaml

3. From Source:

Refer to the official Jaeger installation guide for building from source.

After installation, configure Jaeger to suit your application's tracing needs. Configuration can be done through environment variables or configuration files. Below are some common settings:

• JAEGER_AGENT_HOST: The hostname of the Jaeger agent.
• JAEGER_AGENT_PORT: The port for the Jaeger agent (default: 6831).
• JAEGER_SERVICE_NAME: The name of your service.

export JAEGER_AGENT_HOST=localhost
export JAEGER_AGENT_PORT=6831
export JAEGER_SERVICE_NAME=myservice

To use Jaeger in your application, you will need to instrument your code. Below is an example of how to use Jaeger with a Node.js application:

const initJaegerTracer = require('jaeger-client').initTracer;

const config = {
    serviceName: 'myservice',
    reporter: {
        logSpans: true,
        agentHost: 'localhost',
        agentPort: 6831,
    },
    sampler: {
        type: 'const',
        param: 1,
    },
};

const tracer = initJaegerTracer(config);

// Start a new span
const span = tracer.startSpan('my-operation');
// Perform some operations
span.finish();

To get the most out of Jaeger, consider the following best practices:

• Instrument all critical paths in your application.
• Use meaningful span names and tags.
• Set up alerts for performance anomalies detected through traces.
• Regularly review and analyze tracing data to improve system performance.