Monitor Java Application in Kubernetes

Standard Deployment

Prerequisite

1. Install Sftrace-agent to start tracing for an application running in Kubernetes.
2. Make sure that the project and application are created in the SnappyFlow server. Click here to create a project and an application in SnappyFlow.
3. sfTrace agent has to run as initContainer in the application pod.

Configuration

1. Add the below configuration to add the sfTrace agent as initContainer in the application container.

   # deployment.yaml
     initContainers: 
     - name: sftrace-java-agent 
       image: busybox 
       command: 
       - sh 
       - -c 
       - -x 
       - wget -O /sfagent/sftrace-agent.tar.gz https://github.com/snappyflow/apm-agent/releases/download/latest/sftrace-agent.tar.gz && cd /sfagent && tar -xvzf sftrace-agent.tar.gz && rm sftrace-agent.tar.gz 
       volumeMounts: 
       - mountPath: /sfagent 
         name: sftrace-agent 

2. Provide the SFTRACE_PROFILE_KEY, SFTRACE_PROFILE_KEY, SFTRACE_PROJECT_NAME , SFTRACE_APP_NAME and the SFTRACE_AGENT path.

   env: 
   - name: SFTRACE_PROFILE_KEY 
      value: <profile-key> 
   - name: SFTRACE_SERVICE_NAME 
      value: <service-name>
   - name: SFTRACE_PROJECT_NAME 
      value: <project-name> 
   - name: SFTRACE_APP_NAME 
     value: <app-name> 
   - name: SFTRACE_AGENT 
     value: -javaagent:/sfagent/sftrace/java/sftrace-java-agent.jar 
   - name: ELASTIC_APM_DISABLE_INSTRUMENTATIONS 
     value: spring-mvc 
   - name: ELASTIC_APM_USE_PATH_AS_TRANSACTION_NAME 
     value: "true" 

3. Add the below-given command section to your application container.

   containers: 
     - name: sample-java-app 
       image: imagename:tag 
       command: 
       - sh 
       -c 
       - java $(SFTRACE_AGENT) -jar jarname 

4. In the volumeMounts section of your application container add the mount path: /sfagent and name: sftrace-agent. In the volumes section, add the sftrace-agent volume mounts.

   containers: 
     - name: sample-java-app 
       image: imagename:tag 
       volumeMounts: 
         - mountPath: /sfagent 
           name: sftrace-agent 
   volumes: 
     - name: sftrace-agent 
       emptyDir: {} 

Sample Deployment file

Click here  to view the sample application deployment yaml file for which the configuration mentioned in the above sections enables the tracing feature.

View Trace Data

Follow the below steps to view the trace data.

1. Go to the Application tab in SnappyFlow and navigate to your Project > Application > Dashboard.
2. In the dashboard window, navigate to the Tracing section and click the View Transactions button.

3. You can view the traces in the Aggregate and the Real Time tabs.

Helm Chart Deployment

Prerequisite

1. Install Sftrace-agent o start tracing for an application running in Kubernetes using helm chart deployment.
2. Make sure that the project and application are created in the SnappyFlow server. Click here to create a project and an application in SnappyFlow.
3. sfTrace agent has to run as initContainer in the application pod.

Configuration

1. Add the SF_APP_NAME, SF_PROJECT_NAME, and SF_PROFILE_KEY in the values.yaml file of the helm chart.

   #values.yaml
   global:
   # update the sfappname, sfprojectname and key with the proper values
   sfappname: <app-name>
   sfprojectname: <project-name>
   key: <profile-key>
   
   replicaCount: 1
   image:
   repository: spring-app
   pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
   tag: "latest"

2. Add the below configuration in the deployment .yaml file to add the sfTrace agent as an initContainers in the application container.

   # deployment.yaml
     initContainers: 
     - name: sftrace-java-agent 
       image: busybox 
       command: 
       - sh 
       - -c 
       - -x 
       - wget -O /sfagent/sftrace-agent.tar.gz https://github.com/snappyflow/apm-agent/releases/download/latest/sftrace-agent.tar.gz && cd /sfagent && tar -xvzf sftrace-agent.tar.gz && rm sftrace-agent.tar.gz 
        volumeMounts: 
        - mountPath: /sfagent 
          name: sftrace-agent 

3. Provide the SFTRACE_PROFILE_KEY, SFTRACE_PROFILE_KEY, SFTRACE_PROJECT_NAME , SFTRACE_APP_NAME and the SFTRACE_AGENT path.

   env: 
   - name: SFTRACE_PROFILE_KEY 
     value: {{ .Values.global.key }} 
   - name: SFTRACE_SERVICE_NAME 
     value: <service-name>
   - name: SFTRACE_PROJECT_NAME 
     value: {{ .Values.global.sfprojectname }} 
   - name: SFTRACE_APP_NAME 
     value: {{ .Values.global.sfappname }} 
   - name: SFTRACE_AGENT 
     value: -javaagent:/sfagent/sftrace/java/sftrace-java-agent.jar 
   - name: ELASTIC_APM_DISABLE_INSTRUMENTATIONS 
     value: spring-mvc 
   - name: ELASTIC_APM_USE_PATH_AS_TRANSACTION_NAME 
     value: "true" 

4. Add the below-given command section to your application container.

   containers: 
     - name: sample-java-app 
       image: imagename:tag 
       command: 
       - sh 
       - -c 
       - java $(SFTRACE_AGENT) -jar jarname 

5. In the volumeMounts section of your application container add the mountPath: /sfagent and name: sftrace-agent. In the volumes section, add the sftrace-agent volume mounts.

   containers: 
     - name: sample-java-app 
       image: imagename:tag 
       volumeMounts: 
         - mountPath: /sfagent 
           name: sftrace-agent 
   volumes: 
     - name: sftrace-agent 
       emptyDir: {} 

Sample Helm chart deployment

Update values.yaml:

Refer to  the SFTRACE-CONFIG section in the java_k8s_with_helm_chart_values.yaml  file to configure agent-specific properties.

Update deployment.yaml:

Refer to the SFTRACE-CONFIG section in the  java_k8s_with_helm_chart_deployment.yaml  file and copy the trace agent to the container and start the container by attaching the agent.

View Trace Data

Follow the below steps to view the trace data.

1. Go to the Application tab in SnappyFlow and navigate to your Project > Application > Dashboard.

2. In the dashboard window, navigate to the Tracing section and click the View Transactions button.

3. You can view the traces in the Aggregate and the Real Time tabs.