OpenTelemetry Architecture
Build a controlled telemetry layer between applications and observability vendors
SAB Consulting designs OpenTelemetry architectures that improve control over collection, processing, routing and vendor dependency without creating a fragile new platform.
The problem
OpenTelemetry can create flexibility, but an unplanned deployment can introduce collector sprawl, unclear ownership, resource pressure, unreliable routing and another layer that teams must operate. The architecture must be designed around failure behaviour, scaling, security, processing requirements and the organization's operating model.
What we assess or design
- Agent and gateway patterns
- Collector placement and topology
- Processors, filtering and transformation
- Tail and head sampling
- Routing to one or more backends
- Buffering, retry and failure behaviour
- Resource limits and autoscaling
- Kubernetes deployment patterns
- Configuration management
- Security and sensitive-data handling
- Observability of the telemetry pipeline
- Migration from vendor-specific agents
- Ownership and support model
What you receive
- Target architecture
- Deployment and data-flow diagrams
- Collector and gateway design
- Processor and policy recommendations
- Resilience and scaling model
- Migration sequencing
- Operational ownership and runbook requirements
Who this is for
Platform, SRE and infrastructure teams evaluating or deploying OpenTelemetry who need a production-ready architecture that accounts for failure modes, scaling, security and operational ownership rather than a reference diagram that has not been validated against real workloads.
Frequently asked questions
No. It creates control and portability, but cost depends on what is collected, processed, transmitted and stored. Architecture and governance still matter.
Yes. A phased deployment is often safer than a full replacement of existing instrumentation and agents.
Related services
Start with a focused assessment
Share the platform, cost or reliability problem you are trying to solve. SAB Consulting will help define the right assessment, the evidence required and the practical next step.