System Design · Senior · Question 28 of 75
How do metrics, logs and traces complement each other?
- ✓Correct answer: Metrics show something is wrong, traces show where, logs show why
- 2They are three names for the same tool
- 3Logs replace metrics and traces if they're detailed enough
Explanation
Metrics (error rate, p95 latency) are cheap and suitable for alerts. A distributed trace shows a request's path through services. Logs give details of a specific event. OpenTelemetry standardizes collecting all three signals.