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docs(collector): update internal telemetry RPC metrics #9554

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38 changes: 19 additions & 19 deletions content/en/docs/collector/internal-telemetry.md
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Expand Up @@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ naming conventions, resulting in metric names that looked like
Versions 0.120.0 and later of the Collector use Prometheus 3.0 scrapers, so the
original `http*` and `rpc*` metric names with dots are preserved. The
[internal metrics](#lists-of-internal-metrics) on this page are listed in their
original form, such as`rpc.server.duration`. For more information, see the
original form, such as `rpc.server.call.duration`. For more information, see the
[Collector v0.120.0 release notes](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md#v01200).

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### Lists of internal metrics
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -453,30 +453,30 @@ files in the repository.

#### Additional `detailed`-level metrics

| Metric name | Description | Type |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------- |
| `http.client.request.body.size` | Measures the size of HTTP client request bodies. | Counter |
| `http.client.request.duration` | Measures the duration of HTTP client requests. | Histogram |
| `http.server.request.body.size` | Measures the size of HTTP server request bodies. | Counter |
| `http.server.request.duration` | Measures the duration of HTTP server requests. | Histogram |
| `http.server.response.body.size` | Measures the size of HTTP server response bodies. | Counter |
| `otelcol_processor_batch_batch_`<br>`send_size_bytes` | Number of bytes in the batch that was sent. | Histogram |
| `rpc.client.duration` | Measures the duration of outbound RPC. | Histogram |
| `rpc.client.request.size` | Measures the size of RPC request messages (uncompressed). | Histogram |
| `rpc.client.requests_per_rpc` | Measures the number of messages received per RPC. Should be 1 for all non-streaming RPCs. | Histogram |
| `rpc.client.response.size` | Measures the size of RPC response messages (uncompressed). | Histogram |
| `rpc.client.responses_per_rpc` | Measures the number of messages sent per RPC. Should be 1 for all non-streaming RPCs. | Histogram |
| `rpc.server.duration` | Measures the duration of inbound RPC. | Histogram |
| `rpc.server.request.size` | Measures the size of RPC request messages (uncompressed). | Histogram |
| `rpc.server.requests_per_rpc` | Measures the number of messages received per RPC. Should be 1 for all non-streaming RPCs. | Histogram |
| `rpc.server.response.size` | Measures the size of RPC response messages (uncompressed). | Histogram |
| `rpc.server.responses_per_rpc` | Measures the number of messages sent per RPC. Should be 1 for all non-streaming RPCs. | Histogram |
| Metric name | Description | Type |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | --------- |
| `http.client.request.body.size` | Measures the size of HTTP client request bodies. | Counter |
| `http.client.request.duration` | Measures the duration of HTTP client requests. | Histogram |
| `http.server.request.body.size` | Measures the size of HTTP server request bodies. | Counter |
| `http.server.request.duration` | Measures the duration of HTTP server requests. | Histogram |
| `http.server.response.body.size` | Measures the size of HTTP server response bodies. | Counter |
| `otelcol_processor_batch_batch_`<br>`send_size_bytes` | Number of bytes in the batch that was sent. | Histogram |
| `rpc.client.call.duration` | Measures the duration of outbound remote procedure calls (RPC). | Histogram |
| `rpc.client.request.size` | Measures the size of RPC request messages (uncompressed). | Histogram |
| `rpc.client.response.size` | Measures the size of RPC response messages (uncompressed). | Histogram |
| `rpc.server.call.duration` | Measures the duration of inbound remote procedure calls (RPC). | Histogram |
| `rpc.server.request.size` | Measures the size of RPC request messages (uncompressed). | Histogram |
| `rpc.server.response.size` | Measures the size of RPC response messages (uncompressed). | Histogram |
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@odubajDT odubajDT Apr 15, 2026 •
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AFAIK, only the .call. metrics are available in the latest version of collector and semconv https://opentelemetry.io/docs/specs/semconv/rpc/rpc-metrics/

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| `rpc.client.call.duration` | Measures the duration of outbound remote procedure calls (RPC). | Histogram |
| `rpc.client.request.size` | Measures the size of RPC request messages (uncompressed). | Histogram |
| `rpc.client.response.size` | Measures the size of RPC response messages (uncompressed). | Histogram |
| `rpc.server.call.duration` | Measures the duration of inbound remote procedure calls (RPC). | Histogram |
| `rpc.server.request.size` | Measures the size of RPC request messages (uncompressed). | Histogram |
| `rpc.server.response.size` | Measures the size of RPC response messages (uncompressed). | Histogram |
| `rpc.client.call.duration` | Measures the duration of outbound remote procedure calls (RPC). | Histogram |
| `rpc.server.call.duration` | Measures the duration of inbound remote procedure calls (RPC). | Histogram |

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@jade-guiton-dd jade-guiton-dd Apr 15, 2026 •
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Indeed, I've just confirmed experimentally that:

  • in 0.147.0, the RPC metrics changed to the ones currently in the PR;
  • in 0.148.0, the size metrics were disabled.

Not sure why that happened in two steps, or whether there is any replacement for the size metrics?

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@tiffany76 tiffany76 Apr 16, 2026

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I dug into this with AI's help, and the short answer is no, there is no replacement. The Semantic Conventions SIG deprecated the rpc size metrics because they had "ambiguous definitions and inconsistent implementation".

So we'll need to update this page with a little more guidance.

Thanks for pointing this out, @odubajDT!


> [!NOTE]
>
> The `http*` and `rpc*` metrics are not covered by the maturity levels below
> since they are not under the Collector SIG control.
>
> RPC metric names are version-dependent. For instance, Collector releases
> prior to 0.147.0 exposed `rpc.client.duration` and `rpc.server.duration`
> instead of `rpc.client.call.duration` and `rpc.server.call.duration`.
>
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> The `otelcol_processor_batch_` metrics are unique to the `batchprocessor`.
>
> The `otelcol_receiver_`, `otelcol_scraper_`, `otelcol_processor_`, and
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