observability-edot-java-instrument

To add OpenTelemetry automatic tracing to a Java application, attach the EDOT Java agent via the -javaagent:/path/to/elastic-otel-javaagent.jar JVM argument to automatically generate traces, metrics, and logs without modifying business logic.

You need to configure exactly three environment variables for EDOT Java instrumentation: OTEL_SERVICE_NAME, OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT, and OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS to successfully export telemetry data.

No, you cannot run the EDOT Java agent simultaneously with a classic Elastic APM agent. You must avoid running both together to prevent telemetry collection conflicts and ensure proper observability data generation.

You should not set OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER, OTEL_METRICS_EXPORTER, or OTEL_LOGS_EXPORTER when using the EDOT Java agent. Avoiding these configurations ensures the automatic instrumentation defaults function correctly.

Yes, automatic Java instrumentation targets Java services with no existing APM agent. It provides simple onboarding and enables production-grade observability with minimal configuration for end-to-end visibility over microservices.

No, the EDOT Java agent requires no code modifications to collect metrics and logs. It attaches directly to the JVM to automatically generate traces, metrics, and logs without altering your business logic.