# Proxy Runtime Observability Context

## Purpose and Scope

This capability defines what operators should be able to see in the live server console while debugging proxy traffic.

See `openspec/specs/proxy-runtime-observability/spec.md` for normative requirements.

## Decisions

- **Timestamps are always on:** timestamped console logs are a baseline operator need, not a debug-only feature.
- **Request tracing is opt-in:** outbound request summary and payload tracing remain configurable because payload logs can be noisy or sensitive.
- **Error logs must be correlated:** request id, endpoint, status, code, and message are the minimum useful fields for debugging 4xx/5xx failures.

## Operational Notes

- Use request ids to correlate inbound proxy logs, outbound upstream traces, and client-visible failures.
- Prefer summary tracing in normal debugging sessions; enable payload tracing only when the exact normalized outbound request matters.
- For direct compact `5xx` failures, look for `proxy_compact_failure` alongside `upstream_request_complete`; together they show the compact failure phase, failure detail, exception type, retry metadata, and affinity source.
