Apache SkyWalking in Action

Name: Apache SkyWalking in Action
ISBN: 9787111659068

吴晟 / 高洪涛 / Zhao Yuguang / Cao Yixiong / Li CanChina Machine Press2020

3.2

Word count: 191K words
Chapters: 15
ISBN: 9787111659068

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Summary

Apache SkyWalking in Action is co-written by Wu Sheng, founder of the Apache SkyWalking project, together with core development team members Gao Hongtao, Zhao Yuguang, Cao Yixiong, and Li Can. It is the official technical work on this open-source APM (application performance monitoring) and observability solution. The book has 14 chapters, developed across five dimensions—feature usage, project design, core modules, working principles, and extension practices—and is logically divided into four parts. The introductory part (Chapters 1–3) introduces SkyWalking's positioning, history, architecture, and advantages; explains Java Agent installation, backend and UI deployment, and configuration; and demonstrates hands-on operations in both monolithic and microservice architectures. The theoretical part (Chapters 4–5) analyzes the lightweight queue kernel and the distributed tracing model, addressing the key question of how monitoring software can minimize its impact on applications. The principles part (Chapters 6–12) delves into the OAP Server's modular architecture, the OAL observability analysis language, the cluster communication model, and the storage model, as well as Java probe plugin development, extension of probe-to-backend messaging patterns, and OAP self-monitoring and metrics. The trends part (Chapters 13–14) discusses SkyWalking's integration capabilities in Service Mesh and cloud-native environments and the direction of language-probe-based performance profiling. The book is accompanied by a code repository and an errata channel for readers to verify as they read.

Editor's review

第一，作者阵容权威可靠。本书由 SkyWalking 项目创始人吴晟领衔、核心开发团队执笔，讲的是框架设计者的原始意图，而不是二手转述的“使用手册”，对配置参数含义、模块边界这类容易被资料讲错的地方尤其值得信任。第二，内容层次分明。前 3 章几乎零门槛，跟着做就能把 Agent、OAP 与 UI 跑起来，并在单体与微服务两种架构中看到链路数据；中段再逐步深入到追踪模型、OAL、集群与存储，适合从“会用”走向“懂原理”。第三，扩展性内容少见而实用。第 10、11 章讲探针插件开发与消息通信模式扩展，是把 SkyWalking 接入自研框架、改造传输链路的直接抓手，市面上同类书很少涉及。第四，视野不局限于工具本身。末两章把 SkyWalking 放到 Service Mesh 与云原生可观测性的大图景中讨论，帮助读者判断技术选型与演进方向。需要提醒的是，本书写作于 2020 年，SkyWalking 版本迭代较快，部分配置项、UI 界面与模块细节可能已与最新版本有差异，阅读时建议对照官方文档与源码同步验证。

Who it's for

A good fit for

正在做微服务改造、需要搭建全链路追踪与 APM 平台的后端工程师
负责可观测性体系建设的架构师与 SRE、运维工程师
希望理解探针实现机制、准备开发自定义插件的技术人员
使用 Java 技术栈、需要无侵入监控存量应用的技术团队

Not a good fit for

完全没有 Java 与分布式系统基础的入门读者
只想找一本最新版本操作手册、随时对照现网配置的读者
主要关注业务前端性能优化、不涉及后端链路追踪的从业者

Reading tips

先按第 2、3 章动手跑通 Agent + OAP + UI，让单体和微服务示例都能出链路图，再读原理章节。
读第 6~9 章时同步打开对应版本的源码与官方文档，核对配置项与模块实现，避免被旧版本细节误导。
把第 10、11 章当作扩展练习，尝试把公司自研框架或中间件接入探针，形成可复用的接入文档。
结合第 13、14 章评估 SkyWalking 与现有 Service Mesh、Prometheus 等体系的整合方案，输出选型结论。

About the publisher

China Machine Press China · Founded in 1950

In addition to science and technology and professional publishing, the books in our catalog from China Machine Press also reflect a sustained focus on psychology, computing, management, finance and economics, and social sciences. In psychology, the catalog includes works by C. G. Jung and introductions to analytical psychology, as well as applied topics such as stress and health, and addiction and healing. In computing, it features Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (JavaScript Edition). Management and finance titles include Administrative Behavior (4th Edition), The Price of Inequality (Collector's Edition), and This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly (Commemorative Edition). In the philosophy and history of science, there is The Worldview: The Third Edition. Relevant authors include C. G. Jung, William McGuire, Sonu Shamdasani, and Gabor Maté. Public information is limited; the above summarizes the publisher's profile based solely on the books in our catalog.

Preface
Chapter 1 A Comprehensive Introduction to Apache SkyWalking
Chapter 2 SkyWalking Installation and Configuration
Chapter 3 Apache SkyWalking in Action
Chapter 4 The Lightweight Queue Kernel
Chapter 5 The SkyWalking Tracing Model
Chapter 6 The Modular Architecture of the SkyWalking OAP Server
Chapter 7 The Observability Analysis Language System
Chapter 8 The SkyWalking OAP Server Cluster Communication Model
Chapter 9 The SkyWalking OAP Server Storage Model
Chapter 10 Java Probe Plugin Development
Chapter 11 Developing Probe-to-Backend Messaging Patterns
Chapter 12 SkyWalking OAP Server Monitoring and Metrics
Chapter 13 The Next-Generation Monitoring System—SkyWalking Observing Service Mesh
Chapter 14 A Preliminary Look at SkyWalking's Future

FAQ

这本书适合完全没有 APM 经验的人读吗？

可以，但需要一定基础。前 3 章从安装部署到实战演示循序渐进，跟着操作即可跑通；不过书中默认为读者已了解 Java 应用、微服务调用和基本运维概念，完全零基础的读者会感到吃力。

书中的内容对应哪个 SkyWalking 版本？

本书 2020 年出版，内容基于当时 7.x 阶段的版本撰写。SkyWalking 迭代较快，配置项名称、UI 布局与部分模块结构后续有调整，实操时请以所用版本的官方文档和源码为准。

为什么评分不算高？

该书豆瓣评分约在 6.4~6.6 之间，常见评价是：权威性与原理讲解受认可，但部分章节偏源码解读、可读性一般，且版本更新后部分示例操作需要对照新版文档调整，并非内容方向有误。

书里讲的探针插件开发难不难？

第 10 章从插件结构、拦截点定义到打包加载逐步展开，具备 Java Agent 基础和字节码增强概念的技术人员可以跟上；如果没接触过 Agent 机制，建议先补第 1.4 节的 Java Agent 与远程调试知识。

读完能否独立搭建公司级链路追踪平台？

书中覆盖了部署、集群通信、存储模型与 OAP 监控等关键环节，足以支撑一个人完成中小规模平台的搭建与调优；但大规模生产环境的容量规划、存储选型与告警策略，仍需结合实际压测与官方最佳实践补充。

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About the author

吴晟 Author

Public information about Wu Sheng is limited, and a complete biography is not yet available; his writing can only be understood through the works published under his name. The five titles in the collection span several fields: a technical book such as Future Architecture: From Service-Oriented to Cloud Native, which discusses the evolution of computer systems; a study of classical literature titled A Study of the Mutual Substance and Function of Ancient Chinese Poetry and Drama; and contributions to The Nutcracker and the Four Realms: Full-Color Upgraded Edition as well as Chinese-English and bilingual-reading editions of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. This breadth suggests an author equally at home with specialized material and with literary adaptations and bilingual readers for general audiences. Overall, his writing emphasizes the clear transmission of knowledge while remaining accessible to readers with different needs.

高洪涛 Author

Gao Hongtao: publicly available information about this author is limited, and details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and personal background have not been clearly recorded. The confirmable identity information centers mainly on one technical work. Among the titles held in the collection, Gao Hongtao is the author of Learning Redis from Scratch, a book classified under programming and design and aimed at beginners who wish to gain a systematic understanding of Redis. Judging from the subject matter, the author focuses on the basic practices of databases and back-end development and chooses a "from scratch" approach in organizing the content, which suggests that the writing emphasizes lowering the barrier to learning and sorting out core concepts and operational points rather than pursuing rigorous theoretical exposition. Introductory books of this kind generally stress a step-by-step approach and practical accessibility, and they can help beginners build a knowledge framework. Because more reliable material is lacking, it is not possible at present to make further judgments about the author's academic background, professional field, or the full range of his writing; only the positioning and style of the existing work can be briefly described as above.