Microservicessystem_design~12 mins

Distributed tracing (Jaeger, Zipkin) in Microservices - Architecture Diagram

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Learn Why Deep Arch Practice Challenge Design Recall Scale

System Overview - Distributed tracing (Jaeger, Zipkin)

This system tracks requests as they travel through multiple microservices. It helps developers see where delays or errors happen by collecting timing and metadata from each service. Key requirements include low overhead, real-time trace visualization, and support for many services.

Architecture Diagram

User
  |
  v
Load Balancer
  |
  v
API Gateway
  |
  v
+-------------------+       +----------------+
| Microservice A     |<----->| Jaeger/Zipkin  |
+-------------------+       | Tracing Backend|
  |                         +----------------+
  v
+-------------------+
| Microservice B     |
+-------------------+
  |
  v
+-------------------+
| Microservice C     |
+-------------------+

Components

User

client

Initiates requests to the system

Load Balancer

load_balancer

Distributes incoming requests evenly to API Gateway instances

API Gateway

api_gateway

Entry point for client requests, routes to microservices

Microservice A

service

Handles part of the business logic and calls other microservices

Microservice B

service

Processes specific tasks and may call downstream services

Microservice C

service

Final service in the chain that completes the request

Jaeger/Zipkin Tracing Backend

tracing_backend

Collects, stores, and visualizes trace data from all microservices

Request Flow - 11 Hops

User → Load Balancer

Load Balancer → API Gateway

API Gateway → Microservice A

Microservice A → Jaeger/Zipkin Tracing Backend

Microservice A → Microservice B

Microservice B → Jaeger/Zipkin Tracing Backend

Microservice B → Microservice C

Microservice C → Jaeger/Zipkin Tracing Backend

Microservice C → API Gateway

API Gateway → Load Balancer

Load Balancer → User

Failure Scenario

Component Fails:Jaeger/Zipkin Tracing Backend

Impact:Trace data collection stops; developers lose visibility into request paths and timing but system functionality continues.

Mitigation:Tracing clients buffer spans temporarily and retry sending; system continues operating normally without tracing data.

Architecture Quiz - 3 Questions

Test your understanding

Which component is responsible for collecting and storing trace data?

AJaeger/Zipkin Tracing Backend

BAPI Gateway

CLoad Balancer

DMicroservice A

Design Principle

This architecture shows how distributed tracing collects timing and metadata from each microservice asynchronously without blocking request processing. It uses trace context propagation to link spans across services, enabling end-to-end visibility while keeping the system scalable and resilient.