otel_serverpod

OpenTelemetry instrumentation for Serverpod — server-side complement to the various client-side wrappers (http, dio, grpc, chopper). One http.server span per endpoint method call, with W3C traceparent extracted from inbound headers so distributed traces stitch end-to-end, plus the standard HTTP server metrics. Everything follows the OpenTelemetry semantic conventions and is standard OTLP.

import 'package:dartastic_opentelemetry/dartastic_opentelemetry.dart'
    show OTel;
import 'package:otel_serverpod/otel_serverpod.dart';
import 'package:serverpod/serverpod.dart';

Future<void> run(List<String> args) async {
  // Endpoint + auth come from the standard OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_*
  // environment variables.
  await OTel.initialize(serviceName: 'mypod');

  final pod = Serverpod(
    args,
    Protocol(),
    Endpoints(),
    // Database spans (`find person`, `insert order`, ...) per session.
    databaseInterceptor: OtelServerpod.databaseInterceptor,
  );

  // Endpoint spans and request metrics.
  OtelServerpod.install(pod);

  await pod.start();
}

Initialize OTel before OtelServerpod.install(pod) — install fails fast with a StateError if the SDK is not initialized.

What one call gives you, zero config

• One SERVER span per endpoint method call, named POST endpoint.method (semconv {method} {route} form, e.g. POST greeting.hello) with http.route = endpoint.method — Serverpod routes POST /<endpoint> with the method in the JSON body, so the span is renamed once dispatch resolves the route.
• W3C context extraction (traceparent/tracestate/baggage) from inbound headers. A client using otel_http, otel_dio, or otel_chopper injects those headers automatically, and the endpoint span stitches into the same trace.
• http.server.request.duration histogram (registry bucket advice, labeled by method, route, and status code) and the http.server.active_requests up-down counter.
• Exceptions are recorded and rethrown, never swallowed. 5xx flips span status to Error; 4xx does not (per OTel HTTP semconv).

Database spans, one more line

OtelServerpod.databaseInterceptor is a Serverpod constructor parameter, so install cannot retrofit it:

Serverpod(args, Protocol(), Endpoints(),
    databaseInterceptor: OtelServerpod.databaseInterceptor);

Every typed database operation becomes a CLIENT span named {operation} {table} (find person, insert order) parented to whatever span is active — the endpoint span for session operations inside an endpoint call — plus a db.client.operation.duration measurement. transaction wraps its callback so inner operations become children of the transaction span automatically.

db.query.text privacy default

db.query.text is stamped ONLY on the unsafe* raw-SQL operations and ONLY when you opt in with OtelServerpod.install(pod, captureDbStatements: true) — raw SQL can carry sensitive literals, so the default is OFF. The typed CRUD operations never carry query text.

Future calls

Change extends FutureCall to extends OtelFutureCall and rename your invoke override to run. Each invocation becomes an INTERNAL span named after the registered future-call name; its database operations become child spans.

class BirthdayReminder extends OtelFutureCall<Birthday> {
  @override
  Future<void> run(Session session, Birthday? object) async { ... }
}

What is instrumented, exactly

Names not covered by the semconv registry enums are exported as consts on OtelServerpodSemantics.

Caveats

• Serverpod version: requires the 4.0 line (>=4.0.0-beta.1 <4.1.0). Serverpod 3.4.x is not supported — the databaseInterceptor constructor parameter and the stable Database surface this package wraps exist only on 4.0.
• Hot reload (dev mode) re-initializes Serverpod's endpoint connectors, which drops the span naming (POST greeting.hello reverts to POST) until you restart the server. Middleware and metrics keep flowing.
• Websocket method streams (MethodStreamConnector) pass through untouched in this release — streaming keeps working, stream spans are a tracked follow-up.

License

Apache 2.0