Release 1.59.0

[carlosalberto]

Context

• Clarify that environment variable propagation operational guidance is
  non-normative and should be documented by language implementations.
  (#5165)
• Clean up implementation guidelines for environment variable propagation
  carriers.
  (#5166)
• Remove caching behavior suggestions for environment variable propagation
  carrier implementations.
  (#5179)
• Mark "Environment Variables as Context Propagation Carriers" as Release
  Candidate.
  (#5142)

Traces

• Amend the description of Composite/Composable samplers.
  (#5161)

Logs

• Add ETW (Event Tracing for Windows) example mapping to the logs data
  model appendix, including the ETW level to SeverityNumber mapping.
  (#5159)

Profiles

• Add Profiles data model (data-model.md).
  (#4965)

Supplementary Guidelines

• Add non-normative supplementary guidelines for SDK self-observability.
  (#5135)

OTEPs

• Add OTEP proposing a central OpenTelemetry benchmarks repository.
  (#5118)
• Introduce Policies into the specification.
  (#4738)

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Updates the project changelog to prepare the v1.59.0 release notes by moving previously-unreleased items into a new v1.59.0 section and resetting the “Unreleased” section to a structured template.

Changes:

• Replaces the single “Unreleased” entry with a set of empty category headings for future additions.
• Adds a new v1.59.0 section and populates it with the release items listed in the PR description (Context/Traces/Logs/Supplementary Guidelines/OTEPs).
• Moves previously listed OTEP items out of older sections so they appear under v1.59.0.

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[chalin]

Hi all,

TLDR - moving forward, for each spec release, OTel.io will have a single long-running PR that gets finalized once the release is published.

FYI, open-telemetry/opentelemetry.io#10738 consolidates the two OTel.io workflows that processed the specs in this repo (and separately the semconv spec). There is only one workflow now. It creates and maintains a single long-running PR while the spec is evolving to it's next release. Once the release is out, the same PR is used for a final version update, draft PR is finalized — readied, retitled, and its body synced to the release form.

At any time, you (spec maintainers), can trigger a PR update (to pick up a commit or the official release), via https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry.io/actions/workflows/update-spec-integration-branch.yml.

This upcoming 1.59.0 release will be the first validation of the updated scripts, so I'll keep a close eye on how the OTel.io updates goes. Let me know if you have any questions.

/cc @vitorvasc @svrnm @open-telemetry/docs-maintainers

[chalin]

At any time, you (spec maintainers), can trigger a PR update (to pick up a commit or the official release), via https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry.io/actions/workflows/update-spec-integration-branch.yml.

As of now (open-telemetry/opentelemetry.io#10741), there is a single workflow to update OTel spec and semconv integration branches:

• To trigger this one workflow, see
  https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry.io/actions/workflows/specs-integration.yml
• For docs, see Contributing / SIG practices > Specification
• For the workflow itself,
  https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry.io/blob/main/.github/workflows/specs-integration.yml