---
title: Zipkin
description: Learn how to configure the proxies to send tracing requests to Zipkin.
weight: 7
keywords: [telemetry,tracing,zipkin,span,port-forwarding]
aliases:
    - /docs/tasks/zipkin-tracing.html
owner: istio/wg-policies-and-telemetry-maintainers
test: yes
---

After completing this task, you understand how to have your application participate in tracing with [Zipkin](https://zipkin.io/),
regardless of the language, framework, or platform you use to build your application.

This task uses the [Bookinfo](/es/docs/examples/bookinfo/) sample as the example application.

To learn how Istio handles tracing, visit this task's [overview](../overview/).

## Before you begin

1.  Follow the [Zipkin installation](/es/docs/ops/integrations/zipkin/#installation) documentation to deploy Zipkin into your cluster.

1.  Deploy the [Bookinfo](/es/docs/examples/bookinfo/#deploying-the-application) sample application.

## Configure Istio for distributed tracing

### Configure an extension provider

Install Istio with an [extension provider](/es/docs/reference/config/istio.mesh.v1alpha1/#MeshConfig-ExtensionProvider) referring to the Zipkin service:

{{< text bash >}}
$ cat <<EOF > ./tracing.yaml
apiVersion: install.istio.io/v1alpha1
kind: IstioOperator
spec:
  meshConfig:
    enableTracing: true
    defaultConfig:
      tracing: {} # disable legacy MeshConfig tracing options
    extensionProviders:
    - name: zipkin
      zipkin:
        service: zipkin.istio-system.svc.cluster.local
        port: 9411
EOF
$ istioctl install -f ./tracing.yaml --skip-confirmation
{{< /text >}}

### Enable tracing

Enable tracing by applying the following configuration:

{{< text bash >}}
$ kubectl apply -f - <<EOF
apiVersion: telemetry.istio.io/v1
kind: Telemetry
metadata:
  name: mesh-default
  namespace: istio-system
spec:
  tracing:
  - providers:
    - name: zipkin
EOF
{{< /text >}}

## Accessing the dashboard

The [Remotely Accessing Telemetry Addons task](/es/docs/tasks/observability/gateways) details how to configure access to the Istio addons through a gateway.

For testing (and temporary access), you may also use port-forwarding. Use the following, assuming you've deployed Zipkin to the `istio-system` namespace:

{{< text bash >}}
$ istioctl dashboard zipkin
{{< /text >}}

## Generating traces using the Bookinfo sample

1.  When the Bookinfo application is up and running, access `http://$GATEWAY_URL/productpage` one or more times
    to generate trace information.

    {{< boilerplate trace-generation >}}

1.  From the search panel, click on the plus sign. Select `serviceName` from the first drop-down list, `productpage.default` from second drop-down, and then click the search icon:

    {{< image link="./istio-tracing-list-zipkin.png" caption="Tracing Dashboard" >}}

1.  Click on the `ISTIO-INGRESSGATEWAY` search result to see the details corresponding to the
    latest request to `/productpage`:

    {{< image link="./istio-tracing-details-zipkin.png" caption="Detailed Trace View" >}}

1.  The trace is comprised of a set of spans,
    where each span corresponds to a Bookinfo service, invoked during the execution of a `/productpage` request, or
    internal Istio component, for example: `istio-ingressgateway`.

## Cleanup

1.  Remove any `istioctl` processes that may still be running using control-C or:

    {{< text bash >}}
    $ killall istioctl
    {{< /text >}}

1.  If you are not planning to explore any follow-on tasks, refer to the
    [Bookinfo cleanup](/es/docs/examples/bookinfo/#cleanup) instructions
    to shutdown the application.