Span Attributes

About Span Attributes

  • Provide users the ability to manage the span attributes based on their relevance. Depending on the user and/or application, some of the attributes are important to the user and APM recognizes them while others are not relevant and can be ignored by APM.
  • They are configured at APM Domain level.
  • The following attribute types are available:
    • Metric: Indicates a metric attribute and its value is a number.
    • Dimension: Indicates a dimension attribute and its value is a string.
    • Active: Indicates the attribute sent from the application is being recognized by APM and it starts reporting data on it.

      When using the Deactivate option, the attributes are deactivated and pinned during the same action.

    • Inactive: Indicates the attribute sent from the application is being ignored by APM.
    • Pinned: Indicates attributes that are already deactivated, will always remain as deactivated.
      • A pinned attribute will never get activated.
      • When an attribute is deactivated, it also gets pinned during the same action. This means that even when data is being sent for this attribute, it will never get activated.
      • You can unpin an inactive attribute. This means if data is being sent for that attribute, it will get activated because it's unpinned. If you unpin an inactivate attribute which does not have a last seen date, the attribute is removed from inactivate table.
    • Auto-activate: Indicates APM will automatically activate the attribute and bring data from the application.
      • By default, the auto-activate option is enabled for spans being ingesting through private data key and public data key.
      • When auto-activate is on, the attributes are activated automatically when data is being sent for them.
      • When auto-activate is off, none of the attributes are activated automatically even if data is being sent.
      • Public Data Key and Private Data Key can be switched to on or off at any time.
      • The attributes will not get automatically added if the attribute count has reached the allowed limit.
        • Dimensions maximum limit: 700.
        • Metrics maximum limit: 150.
      • If the system is at maximum capacity and the user deactivates an attribute, the next in-line, waiting attribute will immediately get autoactivated. Thus, in such cases, user should disable the autoactivation before deactivating the unwanted attribute.

        Once the attribute count reaches its maximum limit (700 Dimension and/or 100 Metrics), the autoactivation is disabled. The user is required to re-enable it for any future autoactivation to take place, which requires spaces to be freed up by deactivating some of the attributes.

        Note

        A new attribute will be activated automatically only after the fifth occurrence, and only if auto-activate is enabled. Otherwise, it can be activated manually using the Span Attributes page.

Manage Span Attributes

You can activate or deactivate span attributes depending on your reporting needs.

To manage Span Attributes for a desired APM domain, do the following:
  • Go to the APM Domains page and click on the desired APM domain.

    The Domain Details page is displayed.

  • Go to Resources, located at the bottom left, and click Span Attributes.

    The Span Attributes pane is displayed.

  • Navigate to the Active tab to list all the active span attributes.

    Use the action menu to Deactivate, View Spans or Edit notes.

    When selecting Deactivate, the attributes are deactivated, and also pinned during the same action.

  • Navigate to the Inactive tab to list all the deactivated span attributes.

    Use the Pinned column to see if a span attribute is pinned.

    Use the action menu to Activate, View original span or Edit notes. The Pin to inactive list and the Unpin from the inactive list options are available depending on whether the inactive attribute is pinned or unpinned.

  • To deactivate attributes, go to the Active tab, select the desired attributes from the list using the check box and click Deactivate.

    The Deactivate window is displayed.

    • Review the attributes selected.
    • Enter DELETE to confirm the deactivation.
    • Click Deactivate.

    The deactivated attributes are now listed in the Inactive tab.

    Note

    When an attribute is deactivated, it also gets pinned. This means that even when data is being sent for this attribute, it will never get activated.
  • To activate attributes, go to the Inactive tab, select the desired attributes from the list using the check box and click Activate.

    The activated attributes are now listed in the Active tab.