Instrumenting Database Calls

[rboyd9]

Hi,

We have a custom python service being monitored by APM using the Opentelemetry agent. We have been successful in tracing spans related to our unsupported database driver (clickhouse-driver) but are wondering if there is some tag we can use to get APM to recognize these calls as database calls for the purposes of the "Database Query Performance" screen. I had hoped we could just fill out a bunch of the `db.*` semantic conventions but none have so far worked to get it to show as a database call (though the instrumented data do show up in the span details). Any tips?

[bishida]

Hi,
It's possible that the database you're using isn't supported for Database Query Performance. I suggest checking the supported list here:
https://docs.splunk.com/observability/en/apm/db-query-perf/db-perf-reference.html#supported-dbs

Also, you could check your APM MetricSets in settings->APM MetricSets and make sure that Database Query Performance is enabled and active.

[rboyd9]

Correct, it is not a supported db driver, that is what I'm wondering here; what attributes does the agent send to get Observability Cloud to recognize it as database? For instance, I'm populating things like `db.name`, `db.statement`, and `db.system` and wondering if any further values could be populated (either `sf_` values or opentelemetry semantic conventions) to get this to work the way I want

[bishida]

I think the db.system would have to match one of the systems listed in the supported databases list. On the backend, there is likely an "allow list" that checks if the database system is supported for Query Performance before it will show up in the UI. What is the value of your db.system when you use this clickhouse driver?