Observability

by incidentfox

data

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:

  1. Volume: How many logs in the time window?
  2. Distribution: Which services/levels/error types?
  3. Trends: Is it increasing, stable, or decreasing?
  4. 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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Skill Information

Category:Data
Last Updated:1/30/2026