The text discusses the importance of observability in IT operations, which involves interpreting the internal state of a complex system based on its external outputs. Observability tools are software solutions designed to enable this process, going beyond conventional monitoring by collecting, correlating, and analyzing telemetry data. The article highlights eight top open-source observability solutions: ELK stack (or OpenSearch) for log analysis, Prometheus and Grafana for metrics and performance optimization, Grafana for data visualization, OpenTelemetry and Jaeger stack for distributed tracing, Zipkin for tracing, OpenLens for Kubernetes infrastructure monitoring, K9s for Kubernetes management, and Graylog for security observability. When choosing an open-source observability solution, consider factors such as ease of use, supported integrations, scalability, cost-effectiveness, alerting, notifications, and reporting, as well as security capabilities and licensing terms. However, open-source solutions can present challenges, including the need for in-house staff expertise to handle rough edges, potential risks associated with using untested code, and limitations in support compared to commercial options. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of selecting an observability solution that aligns with business needs and provides access to powerful tools without the hassle or risk.