Docs: Explain the use of AWS X-Ray SDK over the OpenTelemetry/ADOT for tracing instrumentation

[Dilski]

What were you searching in the docs?

At time of writing, the AWS X-Ray SDK for Python project recommends the following:

AWS X-Ray recommends using AWS Distro for OpenTelemetry (ADOT) to instrument your application instead of this X-Ray SDK due to its wider range of features and instrumentations.

However the AWS Lambda Powertools, whose aim is to "..to ease adopting best practices such as tracing...", uses the X-Ray SDK. This could be confusing for folks looking for AWS's recommended best practices regarding how to trace their Python Lambda functions.

Is this related to an existing documentation section?

No response

How can we improve?

It would be useful to include documentation in the Tracing powertools docs page to explain the reasons for using the X-Ray SDK in python lambda functions (and why ADOT is not yet used by Powertools).

Separately, the X-Ray developer guide should include this information in it's section "Choosing between the AWS Distro for OpenTelemetry and X-Ray SDKs".

Got a suggestion in mind?

No response

Acknowledgment

• I understand the final update might be different from my proposed suggestion, or refused.

[heitorlessa]

Thanks for opening the issue @Dilski :) Quick update: We spoke to the X-Ray SDK team and they'll update the repository and Docs to better reflect when OTel/ADOT is recommended.

From our side, we should have this by Friday EOD

[Dilski]

@heitorlessa thanks a bunch!

[github-actions]

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[heitorlessa]

hey @Dilski this is now available as part of 2.2.0 release - lemme know if that doesn't suffice.

Lambda docs have also been updated with the following - marked the specific in bold (X-Ray docs is WIP):

ADOT is the preferred method for instrumenting your Lambda functions. We recommend using ADOT for all new applications. However, due to the flexibility OpenTelemetry offers, your Lambda function invocations may experience cold start latency increases. If you're optimizing for low-latency and also do not require OpenTelemetry's advanced capabilities such as telemetry correlation and dynamically configurable backend destinations, you may want to use the AWS X-Ray SDK over ADOT.

Thank you again for helping us be more precise on multiple channels.

[Dilski]

@heitorlessa amazing, thank you!