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Distributed Tracing

When using the Agenta SDK, distributed tracing is handled automatically with the provided SDK functions. This guide shows you how to propagate trace context across services and extract it when receiving requests.

Using OpenTelemetry with Agenta SDK​

Agenta supports distributed tracing out of the box when using the provided SDK functions:

1. Sending Requests (Propagation)​

When making requests to other services or sub-systems, use agenta.tracing.inject() to inject necessary headers:

import agenta as ag

method = "POST"
url = "https://example-service/api"
params = {}
headers = agenta.tracing.inject()  # automatically injects 'Authorization', 'Traceparent', 'Baggage'
body = {"key": "value"}

response = requests.request(
    method=method,
    url=url,
    params=params,
    headers=headers,
    json=body,
)

The agenta.tracing.inject() function returns headers containing:

  • Authorization: Authentication information
  • Traceparent: Identifies the current trace and span
  • Baggage: Contains application-specific context

These headers can be modified before sending them as part of the request if needed.

2. Receiving Requests (Extraction)​

Agenta simplifies receiving and handling incoming trace contexts:

  • If you're using ag.route() and ag.instrument(), extraction is automatic.
  • For manual extraction, use agenta.tracing.extract():
traceparent, baggage = agenta.tracing.extract()  # includes 'Traceparent', 'Baggage'

# Use traceparent and baggage to set up your OpenTelemetry context
# (Implementation depends on your specific use case)
note

extract() does not provide Authorization because there are many authentication methods (apikey, bearer, secret, access tokens), each requiring different handling. The middlewares and decorators in the Agenta SDK handle this automatically when you use ag.route() and ag.instrument().

Next Steps​