Grafana Tempo

Overview of Grafana Tempo

Grafana Tempo is an open-source distributed tracing backend designed for high-scale observability applications. This powerful tool enables developers and DevOps teams to search for traces, generate metrics from spans, and seamlessly link tracing data with logs and metrics for comprehensive application monitoring. Distributed tracing visualizes the complete lifecycle of requests as they traverse through multiple applications and services, providing crucial insights into performance bottlenecks and system dependencies.

Built for cost efficiency and scalability, Tempo requires only object storage to operate, making it accessible for organizations of all sizes. The platform integrates deeply with the Grafana ecosystem, including Mimir, Prometheus, and Loki, and supports open source tracing protocols like Jaeger, Zipkin, and OpenTelemetry. This makes Tempo an essential tool for Performance Profiler and Network Monitor applications, helping teams maintain optimal system performance and reliability.

How to Use Grafana Tempo

Getting started with Grafana Tempo involves deploying the backend service, configuring your object storage solution, and instrumenting your applications using supported tracing protocols. You can deploy Tempo in various environments to meet your specific needs, test your installation thoroughly, and begin instrumenting your applications or services for traces. The platform's native integration with Grafana provides built-in data source support, while Loki integration enables powerful query filtering and trace navigation through derived fields support in Grafana dashboards.

Core Features of Grafana Tempo

1. Distributed Tracing Backend – High-scale, cost-efficient tracing storage requiring only object storage
2. TraceQL Query Language – Powerful query language inspired by PromQL and LogQL for precise trace selection
3. Metrics Generation – Create metrics from traces using the metrics-generator processor
4. Multi-protocol Support – Compatible with Jaeger, Zipkin, and OpenTelemetry tracing protocols
5. Grafana Ecosystem Integration – Deep integration with Grafana, Loki, Mimir, and Prometheus

Use Cases for Grafana Tempo

• Application performance monitoring and optimization across microservices architectures
• Root cause analysis and troubleshooting for distributed system failures
• Generating custom metrics from trace data for enhanced observability
• Linking tracing data with application logs and system metrics
• Monitoring request lifecycles across multiple services and applications
• Performance profiling and bottleneck identification in cloud-native environments
• Infrastructure monitoring and service dependency mapping

Support and Contact

For documentation and support inquiries, contact the Grafana team at docs@grafana.com. Additional resources and community support are available through the official Grafana Tempo documentation.

Company Info

Grafana Tempo is developed by Grafana Labs, a leading provider of open and composable operational dashboards. The company specializes in observability tools and platforms that help organizations monitor their systems effectively.

Login and Signup

Access Grafana Tempo through login or sign up for an account on the Grafana platform.