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# OBI service discovery

The `executable_path`, `open_port`, `service_name`, and `service_namespace` top-level fields are key settings that help you configure OBI to instrument either a single service or a group of related services.

In some deployments, such as running Coralogix as a Kubernetes DaemonSet, you may need to monitor a broad range of services. The `discovery` section in the YAML configuration provides fine-grained control over which services Coralogix instruments.

For example, you can override service names and namespaces for different types of services.

## Services selection[​](#services-selection "Direct link to Services selection")

| YAML Key     | Env Variable | Type            | Default |
| ------------ | ------------ | --------------- | ------- |
| `instrument` | N/A          | list of objects | (unset) |

Specify different selection rules for different services. You can also override metadata such as service name or namespace.

See the [Discovery services example](#discovery-services-example) section for more details.

## Exclude services[​](#exclude-services "Direct link to Exclude services")

| YAML Key             | Env Variable | Type            | Default |
| -------------------- | ------------ | --------------- | ------- |
| `exclude_instrument` | N/A          | list of objects | (unset) |

Define services to exclude from instrumentation. This uses the same format as the `services` selection. Useful for skipping services like Prometheus.

## Default excluded services[​](#default-excluded-services "Direct link to Default excluded services")

| YAML Key                     | Env Variable | Type            | Default   |
| ---------------------------- | ------------ | --------------- | --------- |
| `default_exclude_instrument` | N/A          | list of objects | \`(?:^ \| |

## Skip Go-specific tracers[​](#skip-go-specific-tracers "Direct link to Skip Go-specific tracers")

| YAML Key                   | Env Variable                         | Type    | Default |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------- | ------- |
| `skip_go_specific_tracers` | `OTEL_EBPF_SKIP_GO_SPECIFIC_TRACERS` | boolean | false   |

Turns off detection of Go-specific telemetry. Coralogix falls back to generic instrumentation in this case.

## Language selection[​](#language-selection "Direct link to Language selection")

There is no top-level `language` key under `discovery`. Restrict instrumentation to specific programming languages in one of two ways:

* **As a selector inside an `instrument` entry**: set the `languages` glob on the entry. See [Selector properties](#selector-properties).
* **Globally via environment variable**: set `OTEL_EBPF_AUTO_TARGET_LANGUAGE` (glob). This applies to all discovered processes.

Supported values: `go`, `java`, `dotnet`, `python`, `ruby`, `nodejs`, `c`, `cpp`, `rust`. Use this to reduce overhead or limit instrumentation scope in mixed-language environments.

## Filter by PID[​](#filter-by-pid "Direct link to Filter by PID")

| YAML Key      | Env Variable           | Type                                                                            | Default |
| ------------- | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `target_pids` | `OTEL_EBPF_TARGET_PID` | comma-separated list of integers or ranges (for example, `1234,5678,9000-9100`) | (unset) |

Restrict OBI to instrument only specific processes by their process IDs (PIDs). This is useful for targeted debugging or when you want to instrument a single process without broader service discovery.

`target_pids` can be set at the top level of the OBI config (applies globally) or as a selector inside an `instrument` entry (applies only to that entry).

From OBI v0.7.0+, the PID selection list is evaluated dynamically: PIDs added to the configuration are picked up at runtime, and PIDs removed from the list are detached without restarting OBI.

## Filter by command-line argument[​](#filter-by-command-line-argument "Direct link to Filter by command-line argument")

| YAML Key   | Env Variable | Type          | Default |
| ---------- | ------------ | ------------- | ------- |
| `cmd_args` | –            | string (glob) | (unset) |

Filter processes by their command-line arguments. Use this selector inside an `instrument` entry to distinguish between multiple instances of the same binary running with different arguments.

## Exclude OpenTelemetry-instrumented services[​](#exclude-opentelemetry-instrumented-services "Direct link to Exclude OpenTelemetry-instrumented services")

| YAML Key                                          | Env Variable                                                | Type    | Default |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------- | ------- |
| `exclude_otel_instrumented_services`              | `OTEL_EBPF_EXCLUDE_OTEL_INSTRUMENTED_SERVICES`              | boolean | true    |
| `exclude_otel_instrumented_services_span_metrics` | `OTEL_EBPF_EXCLUDE_OTEL_INSTRUMENTED_SERVICES_SPAN_METRICS` | boolean | false   |

Prevents Coralogix from monitoring services that already use OpenTelemetry SDKs to avoid duplicated telemetry. Turn this off if dual telemetry is acceptable.

## Discovery services example[​](#discovery-services-example "Direct link to Discovery services example")

Example YAML selecting two service groups:

```
discovery:

  instrument:

    - exe_path: {worker,backend,frontend}

      namespace: MyApplication

    - exe_path: loadgen

      namespace: testing

      name: "TestLoadGenerator"
```

Coralogix instruments processes matching `exe_path` values. The `name` and `namespace` fields control the service's reported identity.

## Service name and namespace overrides[​](#service-name-and-namespace-overrides "Direct link to Service name and namespace overrides")

Each service entry accepts properties grouped by purpose:

1. **Name and namespace overrides**: `name`, `namespace`
2. **Selection criteria (selectors)**: everything else

### Name override[​](#name-override "Direct link to Name override")

| YAML Key | Env Variable | Type   | Default   |
| -------- | ------------ | ------ | --------- |
| `name`   | –            | string | (derived) |

Sets the service name in telemetry. Deprecated in favor of automatic metadata extraction.

## Namespace override[​](#namespace-override "Direct link to Namespace override")

| YAML Key    | Env Variable | Type   | Default            |
| ----------- | ------------ | ------ | ------------------ |
| `namespace` | –            | string | (derived or empty) |

Sets the service namespace in telemetry. Deprecated.

## Selector properties[​](#selector-properties "Direct link to Selector properties")

| YAML Key               | Env Variable | Type                      | Default |
| ---------------------- | ------------ | ------------------------- | ------- |
| `open_ports`           | –            | string (ports)            | (unset) |
| `exe_path`             | –            | string (glob)             | (unset) |
| `languages`            | –            | string (glob)             | (unset) |
| `target_pids`          | –            | list of integers          | (unset) |
| `cmd_args`             | –            | string (glob)             | (unset) |
| `containers_only`      | –            | boolean                   | false   |
| `k8s_namespace`        | –            | string (glob)             | (unset) |
| `k8s_pod_name`         | –            | string (glob)             | (unset) |
| `k8s_deployment_name`  | –            | string (glob)             | (unset) |
| `k8s_replicaset_name`  | –            | string (glob)             | (unset) |
| `k8s_statefulset_name` | –            | string (glob)             | (unset) |
| `k8s_daemonset_name`   | –            | string (glob)             | (unset) |
| `k8s_owner_name`       | –            | string (glob)             | (unset) |
| `k8s_pod_labels`       | –            | map\[string]string (glob) | (unset) |
| `k8s_pod_annotations`  | –            | map\[string]string (glob) | (unset) |

Selectors can be combined within an entry. All conditions must match for a process to be instrumented.

Selectors support numeric comparison operators for fields like `open_ports`. For example, you can use `>8000` to match ports greater than 8000.

Example using labels:

```
discovery:

  instrument:

    - k8s_namespace: frontend

      k8s_pod_labels:

        instrument: obi
```

## Kubernetes-specific name and namespace resolution[​](#kubernetes-specific-name-and-namespace-resolution "Direct link to Kubernetes-specific name and namespace resolution")

Coralogix automatically sets service name and namespace using Kubernetes metadata in this priority order:

1. `OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES` or `OTEL_SERVICE_NAME` environment variables

2. Pod annotations:

   <!-- -->

   * `resource.opentelemetry.io/service.name`
   * `resource.opentelemetry.io/service.namespace`

3. Pod labels:

   <!-- -->

   * `app.kubernetes.io/name`
   * `app.kubernetes.io/part-of`

4. Pod owner metadata (Deployment, ReplicaSet, StatefulSet, etc.)

5. Executable name

You can override default labels with YAML. In the OBI config, `kubernetes` is nested under `attributes`:

```
attributes:

  kubernetes:

    resource_labels:

      service.name:

        - override-svc-name

        - app.kubernetes.io/name

      service.namespace:

        - override-svc-ns

        - app.kubernetes.io/part-of
```