When to use OpenTelemetry and when not?

[Benedikt]

Hello all, 

I have to decide whether I want to use OpenTelemetry or not. My task is to set up a monitoring solution, where I have to collect Traces, Logs and Metrics to create an end-to-end vision. In order to achieve this, I have two options:

1) using OpenTelemetry and send the data to Dynatrace. 

2) not using OpenTelemetry at all and only use Dynatrace to collect the data and analyse the data as well. 

What would be the main differences and also what would be the advantages/disadvantages for each approach? What would I need to do, to get the functionalities that Dynatrace provides out of the box, if I use OpenTelemetry? Any experience, comments etc. would help.

Greetings and thank you for your help, 

Benedikt

[radek_jasinski · Accepted solution]

Hi @Benedikt 

The choice between using OpenTelemetry with Dynatrace or relying solely on Dynatrace depends on your specific needs and environment. If you require a high degree of flexibility, customization, and integration with a wide range of systems, OpenTelemetry can be a valuable addition. However, if you prioritize simplicity, ease of use, and advanced analytics capabilities without the need for extensive configuration, Dynatrace alone might be sufficient.

In both cases, it's important to consider the initial setup effort, maintenance requirements, and the overall cost implications.

Radek