Observability
by incidentfox
Log, metric, and trace analysis methodology. Use when analyzing logs, investigating errors, querying metrics, or correlating signals across observability backends (Coralogix, Datadog, CloudWatch).
Skill Details
Repository Files
13 files in this skill directory
name: observability description: Log, metric, and trace analysis methodology. Use when analyzing logs, investigating errors, querying metrics, or correlating signals across observability backends (Coralogix, Datadog, CloudWatch).
Observability Analysis
Core Principle: Statistics Before Samples
NEVER start by reading raw logs. Always begin with aggregated statistics:
- Volume: How many logs in the time window?
- Distribution: Which services/levels/error types?
- Trends: Is it increasing, stable, or decreasing?
- THEN sample: Get specific entries after understanding the landscape
Available Backends
IMPORTANT: Credentials are injected automatically by a proxy layer. Do NOT check for API keys in environment variables - they won't be there. Just use the backend scripts directly; authentication is handled transparently.
Available backends:
- Coralogix (DataPrime) - Use the scripts in
.claude/skills/observability/coralogix/scripts/ - Datadog (future) - Coming soon
- CloudWatch (future) - Coming soon
To check if a backend is working, try a simple query rather than checking env vars.
Coralogix
For DataPrime query syntax, see: .claude/skills/observability/coralogix/SKILL.md
Datadog (future)
See: .claude/skills/observability/datadog/SKILL.md
CloudWatch (future)
See: .claude/skills/observability/cloudwatch/SKILL.md
Analysis Framework
Step 1: Get the Big Picture
- Total log volume
- Error rate and distribution
- Which services are most affected
Step 2: Identify Patterns
- Error clustering (many errors in short time)
- Temporal patterns (started at X time)
- Service correlation (Service A errors → Service B errors)
Step 3: Sample Strategically
- Sample from error peaks
- Get examples of each distinct error type
- Compare against baseline period
Output Format
When reporting observability findings, use this structure:
## Log Analysis Summary
### Time Window
- Start: [timestamp]
- End: [timestamp]
- Duration: X hours
### Statistics
- Total logs: X events
- Error count: Y events (Z%)
- Services affected: N services
- Error rate trend: [increasing/stable/decreasing]
### Top Error Services
1. [service1]: N errors
2. [service2]: M errors
### Error Patterns
- Primary error type: [description]
- First occurrence: [timestamp]
- Correlation: [deployment/traffic/external event]
### Sample Errors
[Quote 2-3 representative error messages with context]
### Root Cause Hypothesis
[Based on patterns observed]
### Confidence Level
[High/Medium/Low with explanation]
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