OTel Me About Metrics: A Metrics 101 Crash Course

This talk provides a foundational understanding of metrics within the context of observability and OpenTelemetry. It covers what metrics are, why they are essential for system monitoring, and introduces the core concepts of the OpenTelemetry metrics API and SDK. The session delves into various metric instrument types, their properties, and use cases, including counters, up-down counters, and histograms, helping attendees understand how to choose the right instrument for their needs. The presentation also touches on OpenTelemetry's architecture for metrics pipelines and provides guidance on next steps for further exploration.