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OpenTelemetry Collector

Serialization

The otel lexicon serializes every otel entity in a build into one collector config file in YAML, the file otelcol --config reads.

  • Sections come out as receivers, processors, exporters, connectors, extensions, service, separated by a blank line. Empty sections are left out.
  • A component’s id is its collector type, or type/name when its name is set. The export name in source never appears in the output.
  • A list of scalars is written in flow style (receivers: [otlp]), any other list in block style. Strings are plain where YAML reads them back unchanged and double-quoted otherwise.
  • Declared extensions are enabled in declaration order unless a Service lists extensions.
  • Each custom component adds a # chant: comment line above the config naming its schema pin. Built-ins add none.
  • A collector config has no metadata channel, so no ownership marker is stamped.