Advantages and disadvantages with using OpenTelemetry over collecting data with the OneAgent

[Benedikt]

Hello all, 

I am currently debating about using OpenTelemetry to collect data and then send it to Dynatrace or collecting data with the OneAgent.

Have you ever made any experiences with this? 

My question is, if you think it is valuable to use OpenTelemetry instead of the OneAgent? What comes out-of-the-box with using OpenTelemetry and what is missing compared to the out-of-the-box functionalities from OneAgent? 

In general, what would you say are the advantages and disadvantages with using OpenTelemetry over collecting Data with the OneAgent? 

Greetings and thank you for your help, 

Benedikt

[radek_jasinski · Accepted solution]

Hi @Benedikt 
I was preparing such a comparison for my client with advantages and disadvantages against OA. I attach it here (sorry if something is not coherent, because I put this text in the automatic translator, as I have the document in Polish:))

Otel:

Advantages:
1. OpenTelemetry is an open-source project that follows open standards for telemetry data (traces, metrics, and logs). This can be beneficial for ensuring long-term compatibility and avoiding vendor lock-in.
2. Being open-source, OpenTelemetry allows for customization and extensibility. You can modify or extend it as needed to fit your specific use case.
3. OpenTelemetry supports a broader range of programming languages, which can be advantageous if your stack includes less common languages.
4. a community-driven project, it benefits from the input and development efforts of a diverse group of contributors.

Disadvantages:
1. OpenTelemetry might require more effort to set up and configure compared to vendor-specific solutions like OneAgent.
2. Depending on your existing tools and platforms, integrating OpenTelemetry might require additional work.
3. While OpenTelemetry captures a wide range of telemetry data, it might lack some advanced features specific to vendor tools like Dynatrace.

OA:

Advantages:
1. OneAgent is designed to be easy to install and configure, offering a more plug-and-play experience.
2. Dynatrace offers advanced features like AI-powered analysis, automated root cause detection, and deep-dive diagnostics, which may not be available with OpenTelemetry.
3. Being part of the Dynatrace platform, OneAgent offers seamless integration with other Dynatrace features and tools.
4. OneAgent provides automatic and real-time instrumentation with minimal configuration.

Disadvantages:
1. Using OneAgent ties you more closely to the Dynatrace ecosystem, which could be a consideration if you aim for flexibility or anticipate changing monitoring needs.
2. Dynatrace is a commercial product, and using OneAgent might incur more costs compared to an open-source solution like OpenTelemetry.

Conclusion
- You prioritize open standards, need support for a wide range of languages, or require custom telemetry solutions.
- You want a more straightforward setup, advanced AI-driven insights, and tight integration with the Dynatrace ecosystem.

Radek

[Benedikt]

Hello Radek, 

thank you very much! I briefly read through your post and I can say it is very well understandable.

That will help me a lot.

P.S. for others: other experiences would still help me, thank you 🙂 

[Slawa · Accepted solution]

Keep in mind consumption costs.
You will have benefits in case of low traffic and high RAM config on hosts
Consider one agent in case of high traffic.

------------------
Otel billing per trace(traffic based)
One agent billing is per GB (RAM config based)

[Benedikt]

Hello Slawa, 

thank you for your reply. Do you have any link providing the cost of Otel? I can't find anything about it.

[Slawa]

https://docs.dynatrace.com/docs/manage/subscriptions-and-licensing/monitoring-consumption-classic/da...