Datadog Distribution of OpenTelemetry Collector

Overview

The Datadog distribution of OpenTelemetry (DDOT) Collector is an open source solution that combines the flexibility of OpenTelemetry (OTel) with the comprehensive observability capabilities of Datadog. This integrated solution includes:

• A curated set of OpenTelemetry components optimized for performance and reliability with Datadog, with ability to add additional components of your choosing
• Full data collection and processing capabilities of the Datadog Agent for seamless integration and robust monitoring, including Datadog Fleet Automation support for the DDOT Collector (see Key benefits)
• Custom Datadog components designed to deliver the best onboarding experience

Key benefits

The DDOT Collector offers:

Comprehensive observability

• Access 1,000 Datadog integrations, Live Container Monitoring, Cloud Network Monitoring, and Universal Service Monitoring (with eBPF) and more
• Leverage OpenTelemetry community-contributed integrations to collect telemetry in OpenTelemetry Protocol (OTLP) native format
• Control your OTLP data with the Collector’s processing and routing capabilities

Simplified fleet management

• Remotely manage fleets of DDOT Collectors with Datadog Fleet Automation
• Gain visibility into your entire configuration, dependencies, and runtime environment
• Onboard faster with out-of-the-box tagging enrichment for OTLP data, automatically enabling unified service tagging

Enterprise reliability and resources

• Benefit from Datadog’s robust security practices, including regular vulnerability scans and analysis
• Access Datadog’s global support team for assistance with onboarding and troubleshooting

Included components

OpenTelemetry Collector versions

The following table shows which OpenTelemetry Collector versions are included in each DDOT release:

Support levels

For details on Datadog, community, and custom component support, see Support levels on the Compatibility page.

OpenTelemetry Collector components

By default, the DDOT Collector ships with the following Collector components. You can also see the list in YAML format.

Custom Datadog components

In addition to standard OpenTelemetry components, Datadog provides and maintains the following custom components:

Get started

Whether you’re new to Datadog or already familiar with OpenTelemetry, the following guides help you get started according to your specific situation.

Quick start with the default Agent package

The default Datadog Agent package includes a DDOT Collector with a curated set of included OpenTelemetry components designed to meet most needs out of the box. This guide is suitable if you’re:

• Setting up monitoring from scratch without needing OpenTelemetry components outside the included components
• Using the Datadog Agent and want to test OpenTelemetry functionality with included components
• Transitioning from OpenTelemetry Collector to Datadog Agent without requiring components beyond those included by default
• (Optional) If you need OpenTelemetry components beyond what’s provided in the default package, follow Use Custom OpenTelemetry Components to extend the Datadog Agent’s capabilities.

Migrate from OpenTelemetry Collector to Datadog Agent

This guide helps you migrate from an existing OpenTelemetry Collector setup to the Datadog Agent, including scenarios where you need additional OpenTelemetry components. This guide is suitable if you’re:

• Transitioning from OpenTelemetry Collector while preserving your existing setup
• Migrating your existing OpenTelemetry configurations to maintain continuity
• (Optional) If you need OpenTelemetry components beyond what’s provided in the default package, follow Use Custom OpenTelemetry Components to extend the Datadog Agent’s capabilities

Further reading

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