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OTEL-013: batch processor should be last in pipeline

Severity: warn (advisory)

Rule Details​

The batch processor groups items right before they are exported. If it runs before a filter, transform, or sampler, the downstream processors see bigger objects than they need, do more work, and can fragment batches in ways the exporter was not sized for. The conventional ordering is memory_limiter → …everything else… → batch.

This rule fires when a pipeline contains batch and it is not the last processor.

Options​

This rule has no options.

Examples​

Avoid
service:
  pipelines:
    traces:
      receivers: [otlp]
      processors: [memory_limiter, batch, attributes]  # batch not last
      exporters: [otlp/backend]
Prefer
service:
  pipelines:
    traces:
      receivers: [otlp]
      processors: [memory_limiter, attributes, batch]
      exporters: [otlp/backend]

When Not To Use It​

Advanced setups with connectors that re-route data mid-pipeline may legitimately need a second batching stage. In that case disable the rule for the affected pipeline only.

  • OTEL-014 — memory_limiter should be first processor
  • OTEL-038 — filter processor after batch
  • OTEL-039 — transform/attributes processor after batch
  • OTEL-043 — batch before tail_sampling/groupbytrace

Version​

Available since augur v0.1.0.

Further Reading​

Resources​