Docs » Get started with the Splunk Distribution of the OpenTelemetry Collector » Get started: Understand and use the Collector

Get started: Understand and use the Collector 🔗

For a quick overview of the Collector, see Get started with the Splunk Distribution of the OpenTelemetry Collector.

Get started with the available options to install, deploy, and configure the Splunk Distribution of the OpenTelemetry Collector. Next, learn how to use the Collector.

Install the Collector using packages and deployment tools¶

The Splunk Distribution of the OpenTelemetry Collector is supported on Kubernetes, Linux, and Windows. Use one of the following packages to gather data for Splunk Observability Cloud:

See also other deployment tools and options.

Verify the Docker image of the Collector¶

Docker images of the Collector are automatically signed.

If you need to verify and trust your software package, use the following public key to verify the Docker images of the Collector for versions 0.93 or higher:

-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----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-----END PUBLIC KEY-----

For older Collector versions, use this public key:

-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----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-----END PUBLIC KEY-----

Images are signed using cosign. To verify them:

  1. Save the public key to a file. For example, cosign.pub.

  2. Run the following command:

cosign verify --insecure-ignore-tlog --key cosign.pub quay.io/signalfx/splunk-otel-collector:<collector-version>

Note

The OpenTelemetry Operator Docker image only supports Linux and cannot run on Windows nodes.

Configure the Collector: Config files, auto discovery, and other configuration sources¶

Use these configurations to change the default settings in each Collector package:

The Splunk Distribution of the OpenTelemetry Collector has the following configuration options than can be used by several Collector components.

Automatic discovery¶

Splunk Observability Cloud offers several options for no-hassle automatic discovery and configuration. Learn more at Automatic discovery of apps and services.

Use multiple configuration files¶

To define multiple config files simultaneously use:

./otelcol --config=file:/path/to/first/file --config=file:/path/to/second/file

Additional configuration sources¶

You can also use these additional configuration sources:

Collect logs ¶

To collect logs with the Splunk Distribution of the OpenTelemetry Collector:

Use the Collector¶

The OpenTelemetry Collector is a tech-agnostic way to receive, process and export telemetry data.

After you’ve installed the Collector in your platform, update your config file to define the different Collector components (receivers, processors, and exporters) you want to use. However, receivers and exporters are not enabled until they are in a pipeline, as explained in the next paragraph. You can also add extensions that provide the OpenTelemetry Collector with additional functionality, such as diagnostics and health checks. Find the available components at Collector components.

Next, you need to configure your service pipelines to determine how to process your data. In the pipelines section you tie together the receivers, processors and exporters, designing the path your data takes. Multiple pipelines can be defined, and a single receiver or exporter definition can be used in multiple pipelines. A single pipeline can also have multiple receivers or exporters within it. Learn more at Process your data with pipelines.

See also the following documents to understand how the Collector works, and how to use it:

Components and services of the Collector¶

The Splunk Distribution of the OpenTelemetry Collector has the following components and services:

  • Receivers: Determine how you’ll get data into the Collector.

  • Processors: Configure which operations you’ll perform on data before it’s exported. For example, filtering.

  • Exporters: Set up where to send data to. It can be one or more backends or destinations.

  • Extensions: Extend the capabilities of the Collector.

  • Connectors: Connect two pipelines, consuming data as an exporter at the end of one pipeline and emitting data as a receiver at the start of another pipeline.

  • Services. It consists of two elements:

    • List of the extensions you’ve configured.

    • Pipelines: Path data will follow from reception, then through processing or modification, and finally exiting through exporters.

For more information, see Collector components.

Collector variables and internal metrics¶

The Collector operates using these environmental variables and internal metrics:

This page was last updated on Apr 10, 2025.