# skywalking-nginx-lua **Repository Path**: OpenSkywalking/skywalking-nginx-lua ## Basic Information - **Project Name**: skywalking-nginx-lua - **Description**: The Nginx Lua agent for Apache SkyWalking - **Primary Language**: Lua - **License**: Apache-2.0 - **Default Branch**: master - **Homepage**: None - **GVP Project**: No ## Statistics - **Stars**: 7 - **Forks**: 2 - **Created**: 2020-11-04 - **Last Updated**: 2025-07-16 ## Categories & Tags **Categories**: nginx-modules **Tags**: None ## README Apache SkyWalking Nginx Agent ========== Sky Walking logo [![Twitter Follow](https://img.shields.io/twitter/follow/asfskywalking.svg?style=for-the-badge&label=Follow&logo=twitter)](https://twitter.com/AsfSkyWalking) ![CI](https://github.com/apache/skywalking-nginx-lua/workflows/CI/badge.svg?branch=master) [**SkyWalking**](https://github.com/apache/skywalking) Nginx Agent provides the native tracing capability for Nginx powered by Nginx LUA module. This agent follows the SkyWalking tracing and header protocol. It reports tracing data to SkyWalking APM through HTTP protocol. All HTTP 1.1 requests go through Nginx could be collected by this agent. # Setup Doc The following setup is targeting for OpenResty, if you want SkyWalking integrated Gateway, you could jump to 1. [APISIX documentation.](https://apisix.apache.org/docs/apisix/plugins/skywalking) 2. [Kong plugin documentation.](https://github.com/apache/skywalking-kong) ```nginx http { lua_package_path "/Path/to/.../skywalking-nginx-lua/lib/?.lua;;"; # Buffer represents the register inform and the queue of the finished segment lua_shared_dict tracing_buffer 100m; # Init is the timer setter and keeper # Setup an infinite loop timer to do register and trace report. init_worker_by_lua_block { local metadata_buffer = ngx.shared.tracing_buffer -- Set service name metadata_buffer:set('serviceName', 'User Service Name') -- Instance means the number of Nginx deployment, does not mean the worker instances metadata_buffer:set('serviceInstanceName', 'User Service Instance Name') -- type 'boolean', mark the entrySpan include host/domain metadata_buffer:set('includeHostInEntrySpan', false) -- set ignoreSuffix, If the operation name(HTTP URI) of the entry span includes suffixes in this set, this segment would be ignored. Multiple values should be separated by a comma(','). -- require("skywalking.util").set_ignore_suffix(".jpg,.jpeg,.js,.css,.png,.bmp,.gif,.ico,.mp3,.mp4,.svg") -- set random seed require("skywalking.util").set_randomseed() require("skywalking.client"):startBackendTimer("http://127.0.0.1:8080") -- If there is a bug of this `tablepool` implementation, we can -- disable it in this way -- require("skywalking.util").disable_tablepool() skywalking_tracer = require("skywalking.tracer") } server { listen 8090; location /ingress { default_type text/html; rewrite_by_lua_block { ------------------------------------------------------ -- NOTICE, this should be changed manually -- This variable represents the upstream logic address -- Please set them as service logic name or DNS name -- -- Currently, we can not have the upstream real network address ------------------------------------------------------ skywalking_tracer:start("upstream service") -- If you want correlation custom data to the downstream service -- skywalking_tracer:start("upstream service", {custom = "custom_value"}) } -- Target upstream service proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080/backend; body_filter_by_lua_block { if ngx.arg[2] then skywalking_tracer:finish() end } log_by_lua_block { skywalking_tracer:prepareForReport() } } } } ``` # Download Please head to the [releases page](http://skywalking.apache.org/downloads/) to download a release of Apache SkyWalking. **Require SkyWalking 8 OAP server** # Set up dev env ### Debug Startup By using the `/examples/nginx.conf`, you could start the Nginx with LUA module or OpenResty. Such as `nginx -c /path/to/skywalking-nginx-lua/examples/nginx.conf` Then you could 1. See the `instance properties update logs` happens on the console log. ``` 2020/04/04 15:15:37 [debug] 12089#1446111: *4 [lua] content_by_lua(nginx.conf:175):4: Instance report request = {"service":"User Service Name","serviceInstance":"User Service Instance Name","properties":[{"language":"Lua"}]} 2020/04/04 15:15:37 [debug] 12089#1446111: *2 [lua] client.lua:89: reportServiceInstance(): Instance report response = {} ``` 2. See the `heartbeat logs` happens after the `register logs` ``` 2020/04/04 15:15:40 [debug] 12089#1446111: *4 [lua] content_by_lua(nginx.conf:188):3: KeepAlive request = {"service":"User Service Name","serviceInstance":"User Service Instance Name"} ``` 3. Access the `http://127.0.0.1:8080/ingress` then you could see the tracing happens and reported spans in the logs. ``` 2020/04/04 15:15:46 [debug] 12089#1446111: *11 [lua] tracer.lua:83: prepareForReport(): segment = {"traceId":"1585984546953.410917649.45972","serviceInstance":"User Service Instance Name","spans":[{"operationName":"\/tier2\/lb","startTime":1585984546967,"endTime":1585984546968,"spanType":"Exit","spanId":1,"isError":false,"parentSpanId":0,"componentId":6000,"peer":"backend service","spanLayer":"Http"},{"operationName":"\/tier2\/lb","startTime":1585984546967,"tags":[{"key":"http.method","value":"GET"},{"key":"http.params","value":"http:\/\/127.0.0.1\/tier2\/lb"}],"endTime":1585984546968,"spanType":"Entry","spanId":0,"isError":false,"parentSpanId":-1,"componentId":6000,"refs":[{"traceId":"1585984546953.410917649.45972","networkAddressUsedAtPeer":"upstream service","parentEndpoint":"\/ingress","parentServiceInstance":"User Service Instance Name","parentSpanId":1,"parentService":"User Service Name","parentTraceSegmentId":"1585984546953.410917649.45972","refType":"CrossProcess"}],"spanLayer":"Http"}],"service":"User Service Name","traceSegmentId":"1585984546967.449397702.9959"} 2020/04/04 15:15:46 [debug] 12089#1446111: *11 [lua] tracer.lua:87: prepareForReport(): segment buffer size = 1 2020/04/04 15:15:46 [debug] 12089#1446111: *8 [lua] tracer.lua:83: prepareForReport(): segment = {"traceId":"1585984546953.410917649.45972","serviceInstance":"User Service Instance Name","spans":[{"operationName":"\/ingress","startTime":1585984546953,"endTime":1585984546968,"spanType":"Exit","spanId":1,"isError":false,"parentSpanId":0,"componentId":6000,"peer":"upstream service","spanLayer":"Http"},{"operationName":"\/ingress","startTime":1585984546953,"tags":[{"key":"http.method","value":"GET"},{"key":"http.params","value":"http:\/\/localhost\/ingress"}],"endTime":1585984546968,"spanType":"Entry","spanId":0,"parentSpanId":-1,"isError":false,"spanLayer":"Http","componentId":6000}],"service":"User Service Name","traceSegmentId":"1585984546953.410917649.45972"} ``` ### Local Development and Unit Tests All codes in the `lib/skywalking` require the `*_test.lua` to do the UnitTest. To run that, you need to install - Lua 5.1 - LuaRocks The following libs are required in runtime or test cases, please use `LuaRocks` to install them. - lua-cjson2. NOTICE, lua-cjson2 is to fix the bug in lua-cjson 2.1.0-1. ref to: https://github.com/apache/skywalking-nginx-lua/pull/94 - luaunit - lua-resty-jit-uuid # APIs This LUA tracing lib is originally designed for Nginx+LUA/OpenResty ecosystems. But we write it to support more complex cases. If you just use this in the Ngnix, [Setup Doc](#setup-doc) should be good enough. The following APIs are for developers or using this lib out of the Nginx case. ## Nginx APIs - **startTimer**, `require("skywalking.client"):startBackendTimer("http://127.0.0.1:8080")`. Start the backend timer. This timer register the metadata and report traces to the backend. - **destroyBackendTimer**, `require("skywalking.client"):destroyBackendTimer()`. Stop the timer created by `startBackendTimer`, and clean unreported data. - **start**, `require("skywalking.tracer"):start("upstream service", correlation)`. Begin the tracing before the upstream beginning. The custom data (table type) can be injected as the second parameter, and then they will be propagated to the downstream service. If `upstream service` could be determined precisely later, keep it as `nil` and call `inject` method when peer(upstream address) is resolved by load balancer and DNS resolver. - **inject**, `require("skywalking.tracer"):inject(exitSpan, peer, correlation)`. Inject an exit span context and correlation context into carrier, and then they will be propagated to the downstream service. (**Since v1.0**, advanced API, called when you update the peer of exit span.) - **finish**, `require("skywalking.tracer"):finish()`. Finish the tracing for this HTTP request. - **prepareForReport**, `require("skywalking.tracer"):prepareForReport()`. Prepare the finished segment for further report. ## Tracing APIs at LUA level **TracingContext** is the entrance API for lua level tracing. - `TracingContext.new(serviceId, serviceInstID)`, create an active tracing context. - `TracingContext.newNoOP()`, create a no OP tracing context. - `TracingContext.drainAfterFinished()`, fetch the segment includes all finished spans. - `TracingContext.inject(exitSpan, peer, correlation)`, inject an exit span context and correlation context into carrier, and then they will be propagated to the downstream service by outgoing HTTP request. (**Since v1.0**, advanced API, called when you update the peer of exit span.) Create 2 kinds of span - `TracingContext.createEntrySpan(operationName, parent, contextCarrier)` - `TracingContext.createExitSpan(operationName, parent, peer, contextCarrier)` Create 2 kinds of span API v1 - `TracingContext.createEntrySpan(operationName, parent, contextCarrier)` - `TracingContext.createExitSpan(operationName, parent)` # Contact Us * Submit an [issue](https://github.com/apache/skywalking/issues) with `[NIGNX-LUA]` as the issue title prefix. * Mail list: **dev@skywalking.apache.org**. Mail to `dev-subscribe@skywalking.apache.org`, follow the reply to subscribe the mail list. * Join `skywalking` channel at [Apache Slack](https://join.slack.com/t/the-asf/shared_invite/enQtNzc2ODE3MjI1MDk1LTAyZGJmNTg1NWZhNmVmOWZjMjA2MGUyOGY4MjE5ZGUwOTQxY2Q3MDBmNTM5YTllNGU4M2QyMzQ4M2U4ZjQ5YmY). If the link is not working, find the latest one at [Apache INFRA WIKI](https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/INFRA/Slack+Guest+Invites). * QQ Group: 392443393(2000/2000, not available), 901167865(available) # Release Guide All committers should follow [Release Guide](release.md) to publish the official release. # License Apache 2.0