<p>From the documentation:</p>
<p><a href="https://istio.io/latest/docs/reference/config/telemetry/#Tracing" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://istio.io/latest/docs/reference/config/telemetry/#Tracing</a>
<a href="https://istio.io/latest/docs/tasks/observability/distributed-tracing/overview/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://istio.io/latest/docs/tasks/observability/distributed-tracing/overview/</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Istio leverages Envoy’s distributed tracing feature to provide tracing integration out of the box. Specifically, Istio provides options to install various tracing backend and configure proxies to send trace spans to them automatically. See Zipkin, Jaeger and Lightstep task docs about how Istio works with those tracing systems.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-29T07:01:10.557Z
2022-07-29T07:01:10.557Z
dimisjim
<p>You can use any OpenTelemetry compatible service to hold Istio traces. Some are more lightweight, others are more complex. Some are free and open source, some are paid.
For example <a href="https://www.jaegertracing.io" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Jaeger</a> can be installed alongside quite easily. While <a href="https://zipkin.io" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Zipkin</a> still is maintained, I would personally not recommend it. Lightstep has been acquired by Splunk. If you are considering a commercial SaaS, I would nowadays recommend to have a look at <a href="http://www.dash0.com" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dash0 OpenTelemetry Native Observability</a>.
They also have a great <a href="https://www.dash0.com/faq/what-is-opentelemetry" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Introduction into OpenTelemetry</a> if you are just starting to learn about it.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-11T16:57:40.490Z
2024-12-11T16:57:40.490Z
Fabian Lange
<p>This page: <a href="https://istio.io/latest/docs/tasks/observability/gateways/#option-2-insecure-access-http" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://istio.io/latest/docs/tasks/observability/gateways/#option-2-insecure-access-http</a></p>
<p>Shows how to setup external visibility to the telemetry addons for Istio.  One of those is shown to be &quot;tracing&quot;.  It instructs to create a virtual service like this:</p>
<pre><code>apiVersion: networking.istio.io/v1alpha3
kind: VirtualService
metadata:
  name: tracing-vs
  namespace: istio-system
spec:
  hosts:
  - &quot;tracing.${INGRESS_DOMAIN}&quot;
  gateways:
  - tracing-gateway
  http:
  - route:
    - destination:
        host: tracing
        port:
          number: 80
</code></pre>
<p>This seems to imply that there is a service that can be installed that holds traces.  But all I can find is docs on how to integrate with Jaegar, Lightstep and Zipkin.  Nothing for a standalone tracing service.</p>
<p>Is there a such a thing?  And if so is there any docs on how to install it?</p>

<kubernetes><istio>
Is there a "tracing" service that comes with Istio?
Vaccano
# Is there a "tracing" service that comes with Istio?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-27)

This page: https://istio.io/latest/docs/tasks/observability/gateways/#option-2-insecure-access-http
Shows how to setup external visibility to the telemetry addons for Istio.  One of those is shown to be "tracing".  It instructs to create a virtual service like this:
apiVersion: networking.istio.io/v1alpha3
kind: VirtualService
metadata:
  name: tracing-vs
  namespace: istio-system
spec:
  hosts:
  - "tracing.${INGRESS_DOMAIN}"
  gateways:
  - tracing-gateway
  http:
  - route:
    - destination:
        host: tracing
        port:
          number: 80

This seems to imply that there is a service that can be installed that holds traces.  But all I can find is docs on how to integrate with Jaegar, Lightstep and Zipkin.  Nothing for a standalone tracing service.
Is there a such a thing?  And if so is there any docs on how to install it?

**Tags:** kubernetes, istio


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-07-29. Score: 1

From the documentation:

<https://istio.io/latest/docs/reference/config/telemetry/#Tracing>
<https://istio.io/latest/docs/tasks/observability/distributed-tracing/overview/>

> Istio leverages Envoy’s distributed tracing feature to provide tracing integration out of the box. Specifically, Istio provides options to install various tracing backend and configure proxies to send trace spans to them automatically. See Zipkin, Jaeger and Lightstep task docs about how Istio works with those tracing systems.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-12-11. Score: 0

You can use any OpenTelemetry compatible service to hold Istio traces. Some are more lightweight, others are more complex. Some are free and open source, some are paid.
For example [Jaeger](https://www.jaegertracing.io) can be installed alongside quite easily. While [Zipkin](https://zipkin.io) still is maintained, I would personally not recommend it. Lightstep has been acquired by Splunk. If you are considering a commercial SaaS, I would nowadays recommend to have a look at [Dash0 OpenTelemetry Native Observability](http://www.dash0.com).
They also have a great [Introduction into OpenTelemetry](https://www.dash0.com/faq/what-is-opentelemetry) if you are just starting to learn about it.


---

