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+# JSON File serialization
+
+**Status**: [Experimental](../../specification/document-status.md)
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+- [Overview](#overview)
+- [Requirements](#requirements)
+  - [File storage requirements](#file-storage-requirements)
+    - [JSON lines file](#json-lines-file)
+    - [Streaming appending](#streaming-appending)
+  - [Telemetry data requirements](#telemetry-data-requirements)
+- [Examples](#examples)
+
+## Overview
+
+This document describes the serialization of OpenTelemetry data as JSON objects that can be stored in files.
+
+## Requirements
+
+### File storage requirements
+
+#### JSON lines file
+
+This file is a [JSON lines file](https://jsonlines.org/), and therefore follows those requirements:
+
+* UTF-8 encoding
+* Each line is a valid JSON value
+* The line separator is `\n`
+* The preferred file extension is `jsonl`.
+
+#### Streaming appending
+
+There is no guarantee that the data in the file is ordered.
+
+There is no guarantee in particular that timestamps will be monotically increasing.
+
+### Telemetry data requirements
+
+This defines the first version of the serialization scheme.
+
+The data must be encoded according to the format specified in the [OTLP/HTTP standard](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification/blob/main/specification/protocol/otlp.md#otlphttp).
+
+Only top-level objects, `ExportTraceServiceRequest`, `ExportMetricsServiceRequest`, and `ExportLogsServiceRequest` are supported.
+
+Files must contain exactly one type of data: traces, metrics, or logs.
+
+## Examples
+
+This is an example showing traces:
+
+```json lines
+{"resourceSpans":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibrarySpans":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"spans":[{"traceId":"","spanId":"","parentSpanId":"","name":"operationA","startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","endTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","droppedAttributesCount":1,"events":[{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000123","name":"event-with-attr","attributes":[{"key":"span-event-attr","value":{"stringValue":"span-event-attr-val"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":2},{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000123","name":"event","droppedAttributesCount":2}],"droppedEventsCount":1,"status":{"deprecatedCode":"DEPRECATED_STATUS_CODE_UNKNOWN_ERROR","message":"status-cancelled","code":"STATUS_CODE_ERROR"}},{"traceId":"","spanId":"","parentSpanId":"","name":"operationB","startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","endTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","links":[{"traceId":"","spanId":"","attributes":[{"key":"span-link-attr","value":{"stringValue":"span-link-attr-val"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":4},{"traceId":"","spanId":"","droppedAttributesCount":1}],"droppedLinksCount":3,"status":{}}]}]}]}
+{"resourceSpans":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibrarySpans":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"spans":[{"traceId":"","spanId":"","parentSpanId":"","name":"operationA","startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","endTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","droppedAttributesCount":1,"events":[{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000424","name":"event-with-attr","attributes":[{"key":"span-event-attr","value":{"stringValue":"span-event-attr-val"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":2},{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000424","name":"event","droppedAttributesCount":2}],"droppedEventsCount":1,"status":{"deprecatedCode":"DEPRECATED_STATUS_CODE_UNKNOWN_ERROR","message":"status-cancelled","code":"STATUS_CODE_ERROR"}},{"traceId":"","spanId":"","parentSpanId":"","name":"operationB","startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000343","endTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000001089","links":[{"traceId":"","spanId":"","attributes":[{"key":"span-link-attr","value":{"stringValue":"span-link-attr-val"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":3},{"traceId":"","spanId":"","droppedAttributesCount":4}],"droppedLinksCount":2,"status":{}}]}]}]}
+{"resourceSpans":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibrarySpans":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"spans":[{"traceId":"","spanId":"","parentSpanId":"","name":"operationA","startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","endTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","droppedAttributesCount":1,"events":[{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000826","name":"event-with-attr","attributes":[{"key":"span-event-attr","value":{"stringValue":"span-event-attr-val"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":2},{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000826","name":"event","droppedAttributesCount":2}],"droppedEventsCount":1,"status":{"deprecatedCode":"DEPRECATED_STATUS_CODE_UNKNOWN_ERROR","message":"status-cancelled","code":"STATUS_CODE_ERROR"}},{"traceId":"","spanId":"","parentSpanId":"","name":"operationB","startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000200521","endTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000004789","links":[{"traceId":"","spanId":"","attributes":[{"key":"span-link-attr","value":{"stringValue":"span-link-attr-val"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":5},{"traceId":"","spanId":"","droppedAttributesCount":2}],"droppedLinksCount":3,"status":{}}]}]}]}
+{"resourceSpans":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibrarySpans":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"spans":[{"traceId":"","spanId":"","parentSpanId":"","name":"operationA","startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","endTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","droppedAttributesCount":1,"events":[{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000010925","name":"event-with-attr","attributes":[{"key":"span-event-attr","value":{"stringValue":"span-event-attr-val"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":2},{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000010925","name":"event","droppedAttributesCount":2}],"droppedEventsCount":1,"status":{"deprecatedCode":"DEPRECATED_STATUS_CODE_UNKNOWN_ERROR","message":"status-cancelled","code":"STATUS_CODE_ERROR"}},{"traceId":"","spanId":"","parentSpanId":"","name":"operationB","startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000011821","endTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000012924","links":[{"traceId":"","spanId":"","attributes":[{"key":"span-link-attr","value":{"stringValue":"span-link-attr-val"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":2},{"traceId":"","spanId":"","droppedAttributesCount":2}],"droppedLinksCount":5,"status":{}}]}]}]}
+```
+
+This is an example showing metrics:
+
+```json lines
+{"resourceMetrics":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibraryMetrics":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"metrics":[{"name":"counter-int","unit":"1","sum":{"dataPoints":[{"attributes":[{"key":"label-1","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-1"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","asInt":"123"},{"attributes":[{"key":"label-2","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-2"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","asInt":"456"}],"aggregationTemporality":"AGGREGATION_TEMPORALITY_CUMULATIVE","isMonotonic":true}},{"name":"counter-int","unit":"1","sum":{"dataPoints":[{"attributes":[{"key":"label-1","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-1"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","asInt":"123"},{"attributes":[{"key":"label-2","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-2"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","asInt":"456"}],"aggregationTemporality":"AGGREGATION_TEMPORALITY_CUMULATIVE","isMonotonic":true}}]}]}]}
+{"resourceMetrics":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibraryMetrics":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"metrics":[{"name":"counter-int","unit":"1","sum":{"dataPoints":[{"attributes":[{"key":"label-1","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-1"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","asInt":"120"},{"attributes":[{"key":"label-2","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-2"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","asInt":"456"}],"aggregationTemporality":"AGGREGATION_TEMPORALITY_CUMULATIVE","isMonotonic":true}},{"name":"counter-int","unit":"1","sum":{"dataPoints":[{"attributes":[{"key":"label-1","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-1"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","asInt":"123"},{"attributes":[{"key":"label-2","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-2"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","asInt":"456"}],"aggregationTemporality":"AGGREGATION_TEMPORALITY_CUMULATIVE","isMonotonic":true}}]}]}]}
+{"resourceMetrics":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibraryMetrics":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"metrics":[{"name":"counter-int","unit":"1","sum":{"dataPoints":[{"attributes":[{"key":"label-1","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-1"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000002346","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000002346","asInt":"121"},{"attributes":[{"key":"label-2","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-2"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000002346","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000002346","asInt":"456"}],"aggregationTemporality":"AGGREGATION_TEMPORALITY_CUMULATIVE","isMonotonic":true}},{"name":"counter-int","unit":"1","sum":{"dataPoints":[{"attributes":[{"key":"label-1","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-1"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000002346","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000002346","asInt":"123"},{"attributes":[{"key":"label-2","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-2"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","asInt":"456"}],"aggregationTemporality":"AGGREGATION_TEMPORALITY_CUMULATIVE","isMonotonic":true}}]}]}]}
+{"resourceMetrics":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibraryMetrics":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"metrics":[{"name":"counter-int","unit":"1","sum":{"dataPoints":[{"attributes":[{"key":"label-1","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-1"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000007891","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000007891","asInt":"125"},{"attributes":[{"key":"label-2","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-2"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000007891","asInt":"456"}],"aggregationTemporality":"AGGREGATION_TEMPORALITY_CUMULATIVE","isMonotonic":true}},{"name":"counter-int","unit":"1","sum":{"dataPoints":[{"attributes":[{"key":"label-1","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-1"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000007891","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000007891","asInt":"123"},{"attributes":[{"key":"label-2","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-2"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000007891","asInt":"456"}],"aggregationTemporality":"AGGREGATION_TEMPORALITY_CUMULATIVE","isMonotonic":true}}]}]}]}
+```
+
+This is an example showing logs:
+
+```json lines
+{"resourceLogs":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibraryLogs":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"logs":[{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","severityNumber":"SEVERITY_NUMBER_INFO","severityText":"Info","name":"logA","body":{"stringValue":"This is a log message"},"attributes":[{"key":"app","value":{"stringValue":"server"}},{"key":"instance_num","value":{"intValue":"1"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":1,"traceId":"08040201000000000000000000000000","spanId":"0102040800000000"},{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","severityNumber":"SEVERITY_NUMBER_INFO","severityText":"Info","name":"logB","body":{"stringValue":"something happened"},"attributes":[{"key":"customer","value":{"stringValue":"acme"}},{"key":"env","value":{"stringValue":"dev"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":1,"traceId":"","spanId":""}]}]}]}
+{"resourceLogs":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibraryLogs":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"logs":[{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000001233","severityNumber":"SEVERITY_NUMBER_INFO","severityText":"Info","name":"logA","body":{"stringValue":"This is a log message"},"attributes":[{"key":"app","value":{"stringValue":"server"}},{"key":"instance_num","value":{"intValue":"1"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":1,"traceId":"08040201000000000000000000000000","spanId":"0102040800000000"},{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","severityNumber":"SEVERITY_NUMBER_INFO","severityText":"Info","name":"logB","body":{"stringValue":"something happened"},"attributes":[{"key":"customer","value":{"stringValue":"acme"}},{"key":"env","value":{"stringValue":"dev"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":1,"traceId":"","spanId":""}]}]}]}
+{"resourceLogs":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibraryLogs":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"logs":[{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000005443","severityNumber":"SEVERITY_NUMBER_INFO","severityText":"Info","name":"logA","body":{"stringValue":"This is a log message"},"attributes":[{"key":"app","value":{"stringValue":"server"}},{"key":"instance_num","value":{"intValue":"1"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":1,"traceId":"08040201000000000000000000000000","spanId":"0102040800000000"},{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","severityNumber":"SEVERITY_NUMBER_INFO","severityText":"Info","name":"logB","body":{"stringValue":"something happened"},"attributes":[{"key":"customer","value":{"stringValue":"acme"}},{"key":"env","value":{"stringValue":"dev"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":1,"traceId":"","spanId":""}]}]}]}
+{"resourceLogs":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibraryLogs":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"logs":[{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000009875","severityNumber":"SEVERITY_NUMBER_INFO","severityText":"Info","name":"logA","body":{"stringValue":"This is a log message"},"attributes":[{"key":"app","value":{"stringValue":"server"}},{"key":"instance_num","value":{"intValue":"1"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":1,"traceId":"08040201000000000000000000000000","spanId":"0102040800000000"},{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","severityNumber":"SEVERITY_NUMBER_INFO","severityText":"Info","name":"logB","body":{"stringValue":"something happened"},"attributes":[{"key":"customer","value":{"stringValue":"acme"}},{"key":"env","value":{"stringValue":"dev"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":1,"traceId":"","spanId":""}]}]}]}
+```
+
+This is an example showing traces, metrics and logs together:
+
+```json lines
+{"resourceSpans":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibrarySpans":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"spans":[{"traceId":"","spanId":"","parentSpanId":"","name":"operationA","startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","endTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","droppedAttributesCount":1,"events":[{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000123","name":"event-with-attr","attributes":[{"key":"span-event-attr","value":{"stringValue":"span-event-attr-val"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":2},{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000123","name":"event","droppedAttributesCount":2}],"droppedEventsCount":1,"status":{"deprecatedCode":"DEPRECATED_STATUS_CODE_UNKNOWN_ERROR","message":"status-cancelled","code":"STATUS_CODE_ERROR"}},{"traceId":"","spanId":"","parentSpanId":"","name":"operationB","startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","endTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","links":[{"traceId":"","spanId":"","attributes":[{"key":"span-link-attr","value":{"stringValue":"span-link-attr-val"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":4},{"traceId":"","spanId":"","droppedAttributesCount":1}],"droppedLinksCount":3,"status":{}}]}]}]}
+{"resourceMetrics":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibraryMetrics":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"metrics":[{"name":"counter-int","unit":"1","sum":{"dataPoints":[{"attributes":[{"key":"label-1","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-1"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","asInt":"120"},{"attributes":[{"key":"label-2","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-2"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","asInt":"456"}],"aggregationTemporality":"AGGREGATION_TEMPORALITY_CUMULATIVE","isMonotonic":true}},{"name":"counter-int","unit":"1","sum":{"dataPoints":[{"attributes":[{"key":"label-1","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-1"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","asInt":"123"},{"attributes":[{"key":"label-2","value":{"stringValue":"label-value-2"}}],"startTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","timeUnixNano":"1581452773000001459","asInt":"456"}],"aggregationTemporality":"AGGREGATION_TEMPORALITY_CUMULATIVE","isMonotonic":true}}]}]}]}
+{"resourceSpans":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibrarySpans":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"spans":[{"traceId":"","spanId":"","parentSpanId":"","name":"operationA","startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000000321","endTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","droppedAttributesCount":1,"events":[{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000826","name":"event-with-attr","attributes":[{"key":"span-event-attr","value":{"stringValue":"span-event-attr-val"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":2},{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000826","name":"event","droppedAttributesCount":2}],"droppedEventsCount":1,"status":{"deprecatedCode":"DEPRECATED_STATUS_CODE_UNKNOWN_ERROR","message":"status-cancelled","code":"STATUS_CODE_ERROR"}},{"traceId":"","spanId":"","parentSpanId":"","name":"operationB","startTimeUnixNano":"1581452772000200521","endTimeUnixNano":"1581452773000004789","links":[{"traceId":"","spanId":"","attributes":[{"key":"span-link-attr","value":{"stringValue":"span-link-attr-val"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":5},{"traceId":"","spanId":"","droppedAttributesCount":2}],"droppedLinksCount":3,"status":{}}]}]}]}
+{"resourceLogs":[{"resource":{"attributes":[{"key":"resource-attr","value":{"stringValue":"resource-attr-val-1"}}]},"instrumentationLibraryLogs":[{"instrumentationLibrary":{},"logs":[{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000005443","severityNumber":"SEVERITY_NUMBER_INFO","severityText":"Info","name":"logA","body":{"stringValue":"This is a log message"},"attributes":[{"key":"app","value":{"stringValue":"server"}},{"key":"instance_num","value":{"intValue":"1"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":1,"traceId":"08040201000000000000000000000000","spanId":"0102040800000000"},{"timeUnixNano":"1581452773000000789","severityNumber":"SEVERITY_NUMBER_INFO","severityText":"Info","name":"logB","body":{"stringValue":"something happened"},"attributes":[{"key":"customer","value":{"stringValue":"acme"}},{"key":"env","value":{"stringValue":"dev"}}],"droppedAttributesCount":1,"traceId":"","spanId":""}]}]}]}
+```