Online computer system with methodologies for distributed trace aggregation and for targeted distributed tracing

Abstract

An online distributed computer system with methodologies for distributed trace aggregation and targeting distributed tracing. In one aspect, the disclosed distributed tracing technologies improve on existing distributed tracing technologies by providing to application developers and site operations personnel a more holistic and comprehensive insight into the behavior of the online distributed computer system in the form of computed span metric aggregates displayed in a graphical user interface thereby making it easier for such personnel to diagnose problems in the system and to support and maintain the system. In another aspect, the disclosed distributed tracing technologies improve on existing distributed tracing technologies by facilitating targeted tracing of initiator requests.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising:
 generating a plurality of trace events at a plurality of system nodes of an online distributed computer system for a plurality of request paths, each trace event in the set of trace events is generated for a corresponding request path in the plurality of request paths and for a corresponding span of the corresponding request path, the corresponding span representing computation performed by the system node at which the trace event is generated;   identifying a subset of the plurality of trace events pertaining to a particular system node;   computing a span metric aggregate from one or more span metrics in the subset of the plurality of trace events;   displaying, in a graphical user interface, a graphical representation of the particular system node; and   displaying, in the graphical user interface, the span metric aggregate in conjunction with the display of the graphical representation of the particular system node.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising collecting the plurality of trace events from the plurality of system nodes. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the computation performed by the system node occurs on behalf of an interprocess communication call from a parent span in the corresponding request path, wherein the parent span corresponding to one of the system nodes in the corresponding request path. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein identifying the subset of the plurality of trace events pertaining to the particular system node is based on one or more trace identifiers, one or more span identifiers, and one or more node identifiers in the subset of the plurality of trace events. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the subset of the plurality of trace events additionally pertains to a particular parent system node of the particular system node. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein identifying the subset of the plurality of trace events pertaining to the particular parent system node and the particular system node is based on one or more trace identifiers, one or more span identifiers, one or more parent span identifiers, and one or more node identifiers in the subset of the plurality of trace events. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the graphical user interface comprises a visual call graph having a set of visual nodes and one or more visual edges connecting the set of visual nodes=. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the span metric aggregate is displayed in response to detecting input directed to the graphical representation. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the span metric aggregate is displayed in response to detecting input directed to a graphical representation of a graph edge visually connecting the graphical representation of the particular system node with a graphical representation of another node of the plurality of system nodes. 
     
     
         30 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
 generating a plurality of trace events at a plurality of system nodes of an online distributed computer system for a plurality of request paths, each trace event in the set of trace events is generated for a corresponding request path in the plurality of request paths and for a corresponding span of the corresponding request path, the corresponding span representing computation performed by the system node at which the trace event is generated;   identifying a subset of the plurality of trace events pertaining to a particular system node;   computing a span metric aggregate from one or more span metrics in the subset of the plurality of trace events;   displaying, in a graphical user interface, a graphical representation of the particular system node; and   displaying, in the graphical user interface, the span metric aggregate in conjunction with the display of the graphical representation of the particular system node.   
     
     
         31 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 30 , further comprising collecting the plurality of trace events from the plurality of system nodes. 
     
     
         32 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 31 , wherein the computation performed by the system node occurs on behalf of an interprocess communication call from a parent span in the corresponding request path, wherein the parent span corresponding to one of the system nodes in the corresponding request path. 
     
     
         33 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 31 , wherein identifying the subset of the plurality of trace events pertaining to the particular system node is based on one or more trace identifiers, one or more span identifiers, and one or more node identifiers in the subset of the plurality of trace events. 
     
     
         34 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 31 , wherein the subset of the plurality of trace events additionally pertains to a particular parent system node of the particular system node. 
     
     
         35 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 34 , wherein identifying the subset of the plurality of trace events pertaining to the particular parent system node and the particular system node is based on one or more trace identifiers, one or more span identifiers, one or more parent span identifiers, and one or more node identifiers in the subset of the plurality of trace events. 
     
     
         36 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 31 , wherein the graphical user interface comprises a visual call graph having a set of visual nodes and one or more visual edges connecting the set of visual nodes=. 
     
     
         37 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 31 , wherein the span metric aggregate is displayed in response to detecting input directed to the graphical representation. 
     
     
         38 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 31 , wherein the span metric aggregate is displayed in response to detecting input directed to a graphical representation of a graph edge visually connecting the graphical representation of the particular system node with a graphical representation of another node of the plurality of system nodes. 
     
     
         39 . A computer system, comprising:
 a memory; and   a processor that:   generates a plurality of trace events at a plurality of system nodes of an online distributed computer system for a plurality of request paths, each trace event in the set of trace events is generated for a corresponding request path in the plurality of request paths and for a corresponding span of the corresponding request path, the corresponding span representing computation performed by the system node at which the trace event is generated;   identifies a subset of the plurality of trace events pertaining to a particular system node;   computes a span metric aggregate from one or more span metrics in the subset of the plurality of trace events;   displays, in a graphical user interface, a graphical representation of the particular system node, and   displays, in the graphical user interface, the span metric aggregate in conjunction with the display of the graphical representation of the particular system node.   
     
     
         40 . The computer system of  claim 39 , wherein the processor identifies the subset of the plurality of trace events pertaining to the particular system node based on one or more trace identifiers, one or more span identifiers, and one or more node identifiers in the subset of the plurality of trace events.