Activity.Current null in Azure Function when using the latest version of System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticSource

[johannesoenema]

When using Activity.Current to add custom tags to request telemetry, we encounter the problem that Activity.Current is null. We have currently not a way to add custom telemetry to request. The following code will not work with the latest version of System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticSource:

[FunctionName(nameof(Function1))]
public static void Run([TimerTrigger("0 * * * * *")] TimerInfo myTimer)
{
    Activity.Current.AddTag("Test", "Test");
}

Information

• TargetFramework: 3.1
• Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Functions 3.0.11
• System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticSource 4.7.1

Repro steps

We use EFCore.BulkExtensions which has a dependency on version 4.7.1 of System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticSource and because of that Activity.Current isn't working anymore. See repro here: https://github.com/johannesoenema/ActivityIssue

Also very weird, Activity.Current is null according to the code, but in the debug window it isn't null...

Expected behavior

Activity.Current is not null.

Actual behavior

Activity.Current is null.

Known workarounds

Downgrading to version 4.6 of System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticSource:

<PackageReference Include="System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticSource" Version="4.6.0">
   <NoWarn>NU1605</NoWarn>
</PackageReference>

Of course we prefer to use latest version of packages.

Related information

This issue is already described in another issue #5014. Because it is a separate issue from the original issue, I open a new one as suggested.

@brettsam suggested that this change (removing System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticSource from the unification) could be related: #4941

[v-bbalaiagar]

Tagging @brettsam / @fabiocav , for more inputs

[plamber]

Hello,
we are experiencing the a similar issue when referencing the Microsoft.Graph package 3.29.0 which comes with the "System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticSource" version 4.7.1.

Similarly you will experience the same issue if you reference Microsoft.ApplicationInsights.AspNetCore 2.16.0 >= in any of your packages getting "System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticSource" version 5.0.0.
The last one might be required if you want to create your own TelemetryInitializers

br,
Patrick

[Gilligan128]

We are also getting this issue. This is a glaring hole in our ability to observe our functions.

[haktech]

Getting this as well. Any workaround or update?

[BlakeWills]

I think I've been running into this too, although the behaviour I'm experience is slightly different, especially around Activity.Current being null in code vs in the debug windows / tooltips.

For example, the screenshot below shows Activity.Current as null but somehow the traceid is included in the string.

On top of this, if you inspect an instance of System.Diagnostics.Activity, all of the new properties introduced in System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticSource v5.0.0 throw an ArgumentException:

It looks like a much older version of System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticSource is being loaded than the one directly referenced, which I can't work around.

Investigative information

Code:

• TargetFramework: 3.1
• AzureFunctionsVersion: 3
• Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Functions 3.0.13
• System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticSource: 5.0.0 and 5.0.1

Tools:

• Visual Studio Version: 16.9.4
• Core Tools Version: 3.0.3568 Commit hash: e30a0ede85fd498199c28ad699ab2548593f759b (64-bit)
• Function Runtime Version: 3.0.15828.0

Please see the following repo:

https://github.com/BlakeWills/SystemDiagnosticsFunction/blob/master/SystemDiagnosticsFunction

Once cloned, start debugging and you should see that:

1. Activity.Current is null in all VS windows and tooltips.
2. Activity.Current.TraceId is included in responseMessage
3. If you hover over activity you should see that all of the properties introduced in System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticSource v5.0.0 throw an ArgumentException.