The Role of Observability Engineers in Managing Complex IT Systems

(Ajay Khanna)-- The rise of microservices, the adoption of cloud-native architectures and the increasing shift to digital have led to the growing volume of telemetry data (logs, metrics, traces, events) contributing to the complexity of observing modern IT systems effectively and at the right cost. These challenges with processing the telemetry data on time and at the right cost make it difficult for organizations to maximize their observable surface area and ensure they perform at their best.

Enter observability engineers. These professionals are tasked with collecting, processing, analyzing and visualizing data from complex IT systems. They use this data to identify patterns, detect anomalies and understand system behavior. This awareness allows observability engineers to discover and address potential issues before they impact users.

Observability engineers play a critical role in ensuring the reliability, performance and security of complex IT systems, and are essential for organizations that want to stay ahead of the curve in today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape.

Let’s examine the essential characteristics and responsibilities of observability engineers to understand their role.

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