feat: Refine tracing telemetry for client-side attributes

Author: diegomarquezp

sdk-platform-java/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/tracing/ApiTracer.java

@@ -183,6 +183,16 @@ default void responseReceived() {}
   default void requestSent() {}
   ;
 
+  /**
+   * Adds an annotation that a streaming request has been sent.
+   *
+   * @param requestSize the size of the request in bytes.
+   */
+  default void requestSent(long requestSize) {
+    requestSent();
+  }
+  ;
+
   /**
    * Adds an annotation that a batch of writes has been flushed.
    *

sdk-platform-java/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/tracing/ErrorTypeUtil.java

@@ -0,0 +1,252 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ *
+ * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+ * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
+ * met:
+ *
+ *     * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+ * notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+ *     * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
+ * copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer
+ * in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
+ * distribution.
+ *     * Neither the name of Google LLC nor the names of its
+ * contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from
+ * this software without specific prior written permission.
+ *
+ * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
+ * "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+ * LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
+ * A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
+ * OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+ * SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+ * LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
+ * DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
+ * THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+ * (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
+ * OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+ */
+package com.google.api.gax.tracing;
+
+import com.google.api.gax.rpc.ApiException;
+import com.google.api.gax.rpc.DeadlineExceededException;
+import com.google.api.gax.rpc.WatchdogTimeoutException;
+import com.google.common.base.Strings;
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
+import java.net.BindException;
+import java.net.ConnectException;
+import java.net.NoRouteToHostException;
+import java.net.SocketTimeoutException;
+import java.net.UnknownHostException;
+import java.nio.channels.UnresolvedAddressException;
+import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
+import java.util.Set;
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
+import javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException;
+
+public class ErrorTypeUtil {
+
+  public enum ErrorType {
+    CLIENT_TIMEOUT,
+    CLIENT_CONNECTION_ERROR,
+    CLIENT_REQUEST_ERROR,
+    /** Placeholder for potential future request body errors. */
+    CLIENT_REQUEST_BODY_ERROR,
+    /** Placeholder for potential future response decode errors. */
+    CLIENT_RESPONSE_DECODE_ERROR,
+    /** Placeholder for potential future redirect errors. */
+    CLIENT_REDIRECT_ERROR,
+    CLIENT_AUTHENTICATION_ERROR,
+    /** Placeholder for potential future unknown errors. */
+    CLIENT_UNKNOWN_ERROR,
+    INTERNAL;
+
+    @Override
+    public String toString() {
+      return name();
+    }
+  }
+
+  private static final Set<Class<? extends Throwable>> AUTHENTICATION_EXCEPTION_CLASSES =
+      ImmutableSet.of(GeneralSecurityException.class);
+
+  private static final Set<Class<? extends Throwable>> CLIENT_TIMEOUT_EXCEPTION_CLASSES =
+      ImmutableSet.of(
+          SocketTimeoutException.class,
+          WatchdogTimeoutException.class,
+          DeadlineExceededException.class);
+
+  private static final Set<Class<? extends Throwable>> CLIENT_CONNECTION_EXCEPTIONS =
+      ImmutableSet.of(
+          ConnectException.class,
+          UnknownHostException.class,
+          SSLHandshakeException.class,
+          UnresolvedAddressException.class,
+          NoRouteToHostException.class,
+          BindException.class);
+
+  /**
+   * Extracts a low-cardinality string representing the specific classification of the error to be
+   * used in the {@link ObservabilityAttributes#ERROR_TYPE_ATTRIBUTE} attribute.
+   *
+   * <p>This value is determined based on the following priority:
+   *
+   * <ol>
+   *   <li><b>{@code google.rpc.ErrorInfo.reason}:</b> If the error response from the service
+   *       includes {@code google.rpc.ErrorInfo} details, the reason field (e.g.,
+   *       "RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED", "SERVICE_DISABLED") will be used. This offers the most precise
+   *       error cause.
+   *   <li><b>Client-Side Network/Operational Errors:</b> For errors occurring within the client
+   *       library or network stack, mapping to specific enum representations from {@link
+   *       ErrorType}. This includes checking the cause chain for diagnostic markers (e.g., {@code
+   *       ConnectException} or {@code SocketTimeoutException}).
+   *   <li><b>Specific Server Error Code:</b> If no {@code ErrorInfo.reason} is available and it is
+   *       not a client-side failure, but a server error code was received:
+   *       <ul>
+   *         <li>For HTTP: The HTTP status code (e.g., "403", "503").
+   *         <li>For gRPC: The gRPC status code name (e.g., "PERMISSION_DENIED", "UNAVAILABLE").
+   *       </ul>
+   *   <li><b>Language-specific error type:</b> The class or struct name of the exception or error
+   *       if available. This must be low-cardinality, meaning it returns the short name of the
+   *       exception class (e.g. {@code "IllegalStateException"}) rather than its message.
+   *   <li><b>Internal Fallback:</b> If the error doesn't fit any of the above categories, {@code
+   *       "INTERNAL"} will be used, indicating an unexpected issue within the client library's own
+   *       logic.
+   * </ol>
+   *
+   * @param error the Throwable from which to extract the error type string.
+   * @return a low-cardinality string representing the specific error type, or {@code null} if the
+   *     provided error is {@code null}.
+   */
+  public static String extractErrorType(@Nullable Throwable error) {
+    if (error == null) {
+      // No information about the error; we default to INTERNAL.
+      return ErrorType.INTERNAL.toString();
+    }
+
+    // 1. Extract error info reason (most specific server-side info)
+    if (error instanceof ApiException) {
+      String reason = ((ApiException) error).getReason();
+      if (!Strings.isNullOrEmpty(reason)) {
+        return reason;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // 2. Attempt client side error (includes checking cause chains)
+    String clientError = getClientSideError(error);
+    if (clientError != null) {
+      return clientError;
+    }
+
+    // 3. Extract server status code if available
+    if (error instanceof ApiException) {
+      String errorCode = extractServerErrorCode((ApiException) error);
+      if (errorCode != null) {
+        return errorCode;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // 4. Language-specific error type fallback
+    String exceptionName = error.getClass().getSimpleName();
+    if (!Strings.isNullOrEmpty(exceptionName)) {
+      return exceptionName;
+    }
+
+    // 5. Internal Fallback
+    return ErrorType.INTERNAL.toString();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Extracts the server error code from an ApiException.
+   *
+   * @param apiException The ApiException to extract the error code from.
+   * @return A string representing the error code, or null if no specific code can be determined.
+   */
+  @Nullable
+  private static String extractServerErrorCode(ApiException apiException) {
+    if (apiException.getStatusCode() != null) {
+      Object transportCode = apiException.getStatusCode().getTransportCode();
+      if (transportCode instanceof Integer) {
+        // HTTP Status Code
+        return String.valueOf(transportCode);
+      } else if (apiException.getStatusCode().getCode() != null) {
+        // gRPC Status Code name
+        return apiException.getStatusCode().getCode().name();
+      }
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Determines the client-side error type based on the provided Throwable. This method checks for
+   * various network and client-specific exceptions.
+   *
+   * @param error The Throwable to analyze.
+   * @return A string representing the client-side error type, or null if not matched.
+   */
+  @Nullable
+  private static String getClientSideError(Throwable error) {
+    if (isClientTimeout(error)) {
+      return ErrorType.CLIENT_TIMEOUT.toString();
+    }
+    if (isClientConnectionError(error)) {
+      return ErrorType.CLIENT_CONNECTION_ERROR.toString();
+    }
+    if (isClientAuthenticationError(error)) {
+      return ErrorType.CLIENT_AUTHENTICATION_ERROR.toString();
+    }
+    // This covers CLIENT_REQUEST_ERROR for general illegal arguments in client requests.
+    if (error instanceof IllegalArgumentException) {
+      return ErrorType.CLIENT_REQUEST_ERROR.toString();
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Checks if the given Throwable represents a client-side timeout error. This includes socket
+   * timeouts and GAX-specific watchdog timeouts.
+   *
+   * @param e The Throwable to check.
+   * @return true if the error is a client timeout, false otherwise.
+   */
+  private static boolean isClientTimeout(Throwable e) {
+    return hasErrorClassInCauseChain(e, CLIENT_TIMEOUT_EXCEPTION_CLASSES);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Checks if the given Throwable represents a client-side connection error. This includes issues
+   * with establishing connections, unknown hosts, SSL handshakes, and unresolved addresses.
+   *
+   * @param e The Throwable to check.
+   * @return true if the error is a client connection error, false otherwise.
+   */
+  private static boolean isClientConnectionError(Throwable e) {
+    return hasErrorClassInCauseChain(e, CLIENT_CONNECTION_EXCEPTIONS);
+  }
+
+  private static boolean isClientAuthenticationError(Throwable e) {
+    return hasErrorClassInCauseChain(e, AUTHENTICATION_EXCEPTION_CLASSES);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Recursively checks the throwable and its cause chain for any of the specified error classes.
+   *
+   * @param t The Throwable to check.
+   * @param errorClasses A set of class objects to check against.
+   * @return true if an error from the set is found in the cause chain, false otherwise.
+   */
+  private static boolean hasErrorClassInCauseChain(
+      Throwable t, Set<Class<? extends Throwable>> errorClasses) {
+    Throwable current = t;
+    while (current != null) {
+      for (Class<? extends Throwable> errorClass : errorClasses) {
+        if (errorClass.isInstance(current)) {
+          return true;
+        }
+      }
+      current = current.getCause();
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+}

sdk-platform-java/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/tracing/ObservabilityAttributes.java

@@ -85,6 +85,18 @@ public class ObservabilityAttributes {
   /** The url template of the request (e.g. /v1/{name}:access). */
   public static final String URL_TEMPLATE_ATTRIBUTE = "url.template";
 
+  /**
+   * The specific error type. Value will be google.rpc.ErrorInfo.reason, a specific Server Error
+   * Code, Client-Side Network/Operational Error (e.g., CLIENT_TIMEOUT) or internal fallback.
+   */
+  public static final String ERROR_TYPE_ATTRIBUTE = "error.type";
+
+  /** A human-readable error message, which may include details from the exception or response. */
+  public static final String STATUS_MESSAGE_ATTRIBUTE = "status.message";
+
+  /** If the error was caused by an exception, the exception class name. */
+  public static final String EXCEPTION_TYPE_ATTRIBUTE = "exception.type";
+
   /** The resend count of the request. Only used in HTTP transport. */
   public static final String HTTP_RESEND_COUNT_ATTRIBUTE = "http.request.resend_count";
 

sdk-platform-java/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/tracing/ObservabilityUtils.java

@@ -39,6 +39,15 @@
 
 class ObservabilityUtils {
 
+  /**
+   * Extracts a low-cardinality string representing the specific classification of the error to be
+   * used in the {@link ObservabilityAttributes#ERROR_TYPE_ATTRIBUTE} attribute. See {@link
+   * ErrorTypeUtil#extractErrorType} for extended documentation.
+   */
+  static String extractErrorType(@Nullable Throwable error) {
+    return ErrorTypeUtil.extractErrorType(error);
+  }
+
   /** Function to extract the status of the error as a string */
   static String extractStatus(@Nullable Throwable error) {
     final String statusString;

sdk-platform-java/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/tracing/SpanTracer.java

@@ -141,17 +141,47 @@ public void attemptCancelled() {
 
   @Override
   public void attemptFailedDuration(Throwable error, java.time.Duration delay) {
-    endAttempt();
+    recordErrorAndEndAttempt(error);
   }
 
   @Override
   public void attemptFailedRetriesExhausted(Throwable error) {
-    endAttempt();
+    recordErrorAndEndAttempt(error);
   }
 
   @Override
   public void attemptPermanentFailure(Throwable error) {
-    endAttempt();
+    recordErrorAndEndAttempt(error);
+  }
+
+  private void recordErrorAndEndAttempt(Throwable error) {
+    if (attemptSpan != null) {
+      attemptSpan.setAttribute(
+          ObservabilityAttributes.ERROR_TYPE_ATTRIBUTE, ObservabilityUtils.extractErrorType(error));
+
+      if (error != null) {
+        attemptSpan.setAttribute(
+            ObservabilityAttributes.EXCEPTION_TYPE_ATTRIBUTE, error.getClass().getName());
+
+        String errorMessage = extractErrorMessage(error);
+        if (errorMessage != null) {
+          attemptSpan.setAttribute(ObservabilityAttributes.STATUS_MESSAGE_ATTRIBUTE, errorMessage);
+        }
+      }
+
+      endAttempt();
+    }
+  }
+
+  private String extractErrorMessage(Throwable error) {
+    Throwable cause = error;
+    while (cause != null) {
+      if (cause.getMessage() != null && !cause.getMessage().isEmpty()) {
+        return cause.getMessage();
+      }
+      cause = cause.getCause();
+    }
+    return null;
   }
 
   private void endAttempt() {