# IBM Instana (via OTel) This guide explains how to forward logs from Apica Ascent / Flow to IBM Instana using the OpenTelemetry (OTLP) Logs Forwarder over HTTPS. The OpenTelemetry Logs Forwarder converts logs ingested into Apica into OTLP-compliant log data and forwards them to Instana. *** #### Prerequisites Before configuring the forwarder, ensure the following: * Logs are already being ingested into Apica Ascent * You have access to the Ascent UI with permissions to create forwarders * You have an IBM Instana account * You have a valid Instana agent key * You know your Instana backend region *** #### Instana OTLP Logs Endpoint (Direct to Backend) Instana supports OTLP/HTTP ingestion directly into its SaaS backend. **Endpoint format** ``` https://otlp--saas.instana.io:4318/v1/logs ``` **Example** ``` https://otlp-blue-saas.instana.io:4318/v1/logs ``` *** #### Authentication Instana requires the agent key to be sent as a custom HTTP header. **Required header** ``` x-instana-key: ``` Instana also requires host identity metadata. This can be provided using **either**: * HTTP header: ``` x-instana-host: ``` **OR** * OpenTelemetry resource attribute: ``` host.id ``` *** #### Example Configuration **Endpoint** ``` https://otlp-blue-saas.instana.io:4318/v1/logs ``` **Headers** ``` x-instana-key= ``` **Output Format** ``` proto ``` *** #### Map the Forwarder to Log Sources Use **Explore → Map Forwarder** to attach the Instana OTLP logs forwarder to the desired applications or namespaces. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.apica.io/flow/list-of-forwarders/ibm-instana-via-otel.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.