Kentik enhances network observability by integrating various telemetry sources and advanced data processing tools, to provide insights into complex network environments. In this episode, Avi Freedman, CEO & Co-Founder at Kentik, discusses the challenges of network observability, the benefits and limitations of OpenTelemetry, and how Kentik is addressing these challenges. He says, “We’re trying to help this telemetry unification for network people by unifying Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and streaming telemetry.”

Overview of Kentik and the challenges it is addressing in network observability

• Freedman talks about the origin of Kentik, telling us that he started the company due to the demand for data hosting and analytics. He mentions his experience in infrastructure and network systems and the factors that influenced starting Kentik.
• Freedman defines network observability, highlighting the challenges of high data cardinality and the need for specialized tools to handle network observability efficiently.

Why OpenTelemetry’s role in network observability is limited and how Kentik is helping

• Freedman acknowledges the benefits of OpenTelemetry but notes that it is not a complete solution for network observability. He emphasizes the importance of data portability and the challenges related to the semantics.
• OpenTelemetry has a limited role in network observability due to the complexities and lack of standards for integrating network data. Freedman illustrates the challenges with examples like SNMP and streaming telemetry.
• Freedman outlines Kentik’s approach to unifying SNMP and streaming telemetry. He describes how Kentik provides flexible output options while managing data complexity and cost.

Need to bridge the gap between OpenTelemetry and network observability standards

• Freedman talks about the lack of significant progress in bridging the gap between OpenTelemetry and network observability standards. He mentions the ongoing challenges in unifying different telemetry standards within the network industry.
• There’s a growing need for integrated tools to diagnose network issues within cloud environments. Freedman highlights the challenges of breaking down silos between different observability tools and the importance of collaboration among various IT teams.

How AI and integrations are reducing complexity in observability space

• Freedman identifies two main trends in reducing complexity and breaking down silos in cloud-native environments: improved integration between observability platforms and the use of AI to assist teams in managing complexity.
• Freedman explains how AI and integrations help provide relevant summaries and root cause analysis, aiding teams in addressing issues despite their specialized roles.
• AI can assist humans in asking intelligent questions and suggesting probable causes for issues. AI can potentially check its predictions against known data, reducing the risk of errors and aiding in complex infrastructure management.
• Freedman outlines Kentik’s focus on integrating Kubernetes, enhancing cross-cloud observability, and leveraging AI to assist users. He mentions efforts to make their tools more approachable and useful for experts and other teams.

Guest: Avi Freedman (LinkedIn)
Company: Kentik (Twitter)
Show: Let’s Talk

This summary was written by Emily Nicholls.