feat: add support for OTEL_SDK_DISABLED environment variable

Signed-off-by: Saurav Sharma <appdroiddeveloper@gmail.com>

Author: iamsauravsharma

opentelemetry-sdk/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
   `queue_full` and `already_shutdown`, enabling operators to distinguish
   successful processing from drops due to full queue or post-shutdown emits.
   ([#3514](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-rust/pull/3514))
+- **Feature**: Add support for `OTEL_SDK_DISABLED` environment variable [#3088][3088]
+
+[3088]: https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-rust/pull/3088
 
 ## 0.32.1
 

opentelemetry-sdk/Cargo.toml

@@ -129,6 +129,11 @@ name = "bound_instruments"
 harness = false
 required-features = ["metrics", "experimental_metrics_custom_reader", "experimental_metrics_bound_instruments", "spec_unstable_metrics_views"]
 
+[[bench]]
+name = "sdk_disabled"
+harness = false
+required-features = ["trace", "logs", "metrics"]
+
 [lib]
 bench = false
 

opentelemetry-sdk/benches/sdk_disabled.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,239 @@
+/*
+    The benchmark results:
+    criterion = "0.5.1"
+    rustc 1.98.0-nightly (8b6558a02 2026-06-20)
+    OS: macOS 26.5.1 (arm64)
+    Hardware: Apple M1
+
+    | Test    | api-only | sdk-disabled | sdk-shutdown | sdk-enabled |
+    |---------|----------|--------------|--------------|-------------|
+    | trace   |  20.4 ns |  38.9 ns     |  38.5 ns     |  178 ns     |
+    | log     |  0.32 ns |  1.28 ns     |  1.27 ns     |  37 ns      |
+    | metrics |  6.11 ns |  6.11 ns     |  6.10 ns     |  66 ns      |
+*/
+
+use criterion::{criterion_group, criterion_main, Criterion};
+use opentelemetry::InstrumentationScope;
+use opentelemetry::{
+    logs::{LogRecord, Logger, LoggerProvider, Severity},
+    metrics::{Counter, MeterProvider},
+    trace::{Span, Tracer, TracerProvider},
+    KeyValue,
+};
+use opentelemetry_sdk::{
+    error::OTelSdkResult,
+    logs::{LogProcessor, SdkLogRecord, SdkLoggerProvider},
+    metrics::{
+        data::ResourceMetrics, exporter::PushMetricExporter, PeriodicReader, SdkMeterProvider,
+        Temporality,
+    },
+    trace::{Sampler, SdkTracerProvider, SpanData, SpanExporter},
+};
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+// Run the given closure with the `OTEL_SDK_DISABLED` environment variable set to "true".
+fn with_sdk_disabled<T>(f: impl FnOnce() -> T) -> T {
+    temp_env::with_var("OTEL_SDK_DISABLED", Some("true"), f)
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct NoOpSpanExporter;
+
+impl SpanExporter for NoOpSpanExporter {
+    async fn export(&self, _spans: Vec<SpanData>) -> OTelSdkResult {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct NoOpLogProcessor;
+
+impl LogProcessor for NoOpLogProcessor {
+    fn emit(&self, _data: &mut SdkLogRecord, _scope: &InstrumentationScope) {}
+
+    fn force_flush(&self) -> OTelSdkResult {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn shutdown_with_timeout(&self, _timeout: Duration) -> OTelSdkResult {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct NoOpMetricExporter;
+
+impl PushMetricExporter for NoOpMetricExporter {
+    async fn export(&self, _metrics: &ResourceMetrics) -> OTelSdkResult {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn force_flush(&self) -> OTelSdkResult {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn shutdown_with_timeout(&self, _timeout: Duration) -> OTelSdkResult {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn temporality(&self) -> Temporality {
+        Temporality::Cumulative
+    }
+}
+
+fn emit_span<T: Tracer>(tracer: &T) {
+    let mut span = tracer.start("span-name");
+    if span.is_recording() {
+        span.set_attribute(KeyValue::new("key1", "value1"));
+        span.set_attribute(KeyValue::new("key2", 123));
+    }
+    span.end();
+}
+
+fn emit_log<L: Logger>(logger: &L) {
+    if logger.event_enabled(Severity::Info, "benchmark", None) {
+        let mut record = logger.create_log_record();
+        record.set_body("a log message".into());
+        record.set_severity_number(Severity::Info);
+        record.add_attribute("key1", "value1");
+        record.add_attribute("key2", 123);
+        logger.emit(record);
+    }
+}
+
+fn add_to_counter(counter: &Counter<u64>) {
+    counter.add(
+        1,
+        &[KeyValue::new("key1", "value1"), KeyValue::new("key2", 123)],
+    );
+}
+
+fn trace_benchmark(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let mut group = c.benchmark_group("trace");
+
+    group.bench_function("api-only", |b| {
+        let provider = opentelemetry::trace::noop::NoopTracerProvider::new();
+        let tracer = provider.tracer("bench");
+        b.iter(|| emit_span(&tracer));
+    });
+
+    group.bench_function("sdk-disabled", |b| {
+        let provider = with_sdk_disabled(|| {
+            SdkTracerProvider::builder()
+                .with_sampler(Sampler::AlwaysOn)
+                .build()
+        });
+        let tracer = provider.tracer("bench");
+        b.iter(|| emit_span(&tracer));
+    });
+
+    group.bench_function("sdk-shutdown", |b| {
+        let provider = SdkTracerProvider::builder()
+            .with_sampler(Sampler::AlwaysOn)
+            .with_simple_exporter(NoOpSpanExporter)
+            .build();
+        let _ = provider.shutdown();
+        let tracer = provider.tracer("bench");
+        b.iter(|| emit_span(&tracer));
+    });
+
+    group.bench_function("sdk-enabled", |b| {
+        let provider = SdkTracerProvider::builder()
+            .with_sampler(Sampler::AlwaysOn)
+            .with_simple_exporter(NoOpSpanExporter)
+            .build();
+        let tracer = provider.tracer("bench");
+        b.iter(|| emit_span(&tracer));
+    });
+
+    group.finish();
+}
+
+fn log_benchmark(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let mut group = c.benchmark_group("log");
+
+    group.bench_function("api-only", |b| {
+        let provider = opentelemetry::logs::NoopLoggerProvider::new();
+        let logger = provider.logger("bench");
+        b.iter(|| emit_log(&logger));
+    });
+
+    group.bench_function("sdk-disabled", |b| {
+        let provider = with_sdk_disabled(|| {
+            SdkLoggerProvider::builder()
+                .with_log_processor(NoOpLogProcessor)
+                .build()
+        });
+        let logger = provider.logger("bench");
+        b.iter(|| emit_log(&logger));
+    });
+
+    group.bench_function("sdk-shutdown", |b| {
+        let provider = SdkLoggerProvider::builder()
+            .with_log_processor(NoOpLogProcessor)
+            .build();
+        let _ = provider.shutdown();
+        let logger = provider.logger("bench");
+        b.iter(|| emit_log(&logger));
+    });
+
+    group.bench_function("sdk-enabled", |b| {
+        let provider = SdkLoggerProvider::builder()
+            .with_log_processor(NoOpLogProcessor)
+            .build();
+        let logger = provider.logger("bench");
+        b.iter(|| emit_log(&logger));
+    });
+
+    group.finish();
+}
+
+fn metrics_benchmark(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let mut group = c.benchmark_group("metrics");
+
+    group.bench_function("api-only", |b| {
+        let provider = opentelemetry::metrics::NoopMeterProvider::new();
+        let counter = provider.meter("bench").u64_counter("counter").build();
+        b.iter(|| add_to_counter(&counter));
+    });
+
+    group.bench_function("sdk-disabled", |b| {
+        let provider = with_sdk_disabled(|| SdkMeterProvider::builder().build());
+        let counter = provider.meter("bench").u64_counter("counter").build();
+        b.iter(|| add_to_counter(&counter));
+    });
+
+    group.bench_function("sdk-shutdown", |b| {
+        let provider = SdkMeterProvider::builder()
+            .with_reader(PeriodicReader::builder(NoOpMetricExporter).build())
+            .build();
+        let _ = provider.shutdown();
+        let counter = provider.meter("bench").u64_counter("counter").build();
+        b.iter(|| add_to_counter(&counter));
+    });
+
+    group.bench_function("sdk-enabled", |b| {
+        let provider = SdkMeterProvider::builder()
+            .with_reader(PeriodicReader::builder(NoOpMetricExporter).build())
+            .build();
+        let counter = provider.meter("bench").u64_counter("counter").build();
+        b.iter(|| add_to_counter(&counter));
+    });
+
+    group.finish();
+}
+
+fn criterion_benchmark(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    trace_benchmark(c);
+    log_benchmark(c);
+    metrics_benchmark(c);
+}
+
+criterion_group! {
+    name = benches;
+    config = Criterion::default()
+        .warm_up_time(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1))
+        .measurement_time(std::time::Duration::from_secs(2));
+    targets = criterion_benchmark
+}
+criterion_main!(benches);

opentelemetry-sdk/src/logs/logger.rs

@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ impl SdkLogger {
     pub(crate) fn new(scope: InstrumentationScope, provider: SdkLoggerProvider) -> Self {
         SdkLogger { scope, provider }
     }
+
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    pub(crate) fn provider(&self) -> &SdkLoggerProvider {
+        &self.provider
+    }
 }
 
 impl opentelemetry::logs::Logger for SdkLogger {
@@ -58,13 +63,16 @@ impl opentelemetry::logs::Logger for SdkLogger {
 
     #[inline]
     fn event_enabled(&self, level: Severity, target: &str, name: Option<&str>) -> bool {
+        let processors = self.provider.log_processors();
+        // Early return if there are no processors
+        if processors.is_empty() {
+            return false;
+        }
         if Context::is_current_telemetry_suppressed() {
             return false;
         }
-        // Returns false if there are no log processors.
         // Returns true if at least one processor returns true.
-        self.provider
-            .log_processors()
+        processors
             .iter()
             .any(|processor| processor.event_enabled(level, target, name))
     }