> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://stephen-tsoi.gitbook.io/stephen-tsoi-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://stephen-tsoi.gitbook.io/stephen-tsoi-docs/opentelemetry/from-missing-events-to-complete-visibility-tracing-enterprise-transactions-with-opentelemetry/day-32-34-designing-a-resilient-and-scalable-collector-architecture.md). # Day 32/34 Designing a Resilient and Scalable Collector Architecture In my earlier post “8. OTel Collector” (), I introduced the role of the OpenTelemetry (OTel) Collector.\ The collector is responsible for:\ Receiving OTel traces, metrics, and logs from source systems\ Filtering and processing telemetry data\ Sending data in batches to the target SaaS APM backend\ \ The OTel Collector can be deployed on-host (alongside the application) or off-host, depending on architectural and operational requirements.\ \ In posts #24 () and #25 (), I shared a two-tier collector strategy to optimize data volume and ensure observability quality:\ Success traces are sent based on N% sampling\ Failure traces are captured and sent at 100%\ Timeout traces are also captured at 100%\ \ Designing a Resilient and Scalable Collector Infrastructure\ The next step is to design an effective collector infrastructure that supports resilience, scalability, and operational simplicity.
## **Tier 1 Collector** Deploy the collector on the same host as the application, or share it with the APM agent\ Deploy additional collectors for appliances or third-party products\ Forward traces to a specific Tier 2 collector using the formula:\ \[Trace ID] % \[Number of Active Tier 2 Collectors]\ Send metrics and logs directly to the SaaS APM backend
## **Tier 2 Collector** Deploy Tier 2 collectors within the same network segment\ Create multiple collector sets, with each set configured in an active–standby model to enhance availability\ DMZ Design\ Establish a DMZ between Tier 1 / Tier 2 collectors and the Internet\ Deploy a proxy server to route traces, logs, and metrics to the SaaS APM backend\ The proxy simplifies firewall rules and collector configurations\ It avoids the need for each collector to directly terminate Internet connections\ Internet Client Devices\ Send 100% of trace data directly to the SaaS APM backend ## This layered collector design helps achieve: ✅ High availability and fault tolerance\ ✅ Controlled telemetry volume\ ✅ Simplified network and security management\ ✅ Better support for large-scale and hybrid environments
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