What is the default retention period for indexed spans in Datadog's APM?

In Datadog's APM (Application Performance Monitoring), the default retention period for indexed spans is indeed 15 days. This retention policy defines how long the data associated with your applications' performance, such as trace spans, is kept accessible for analysis and monitoring. The 15-day period allows teams to review application performance over a reasonable time frame, enabling them to identify trends, troubleshoot issues, and optimize performance based on recent data.

Understanding the retention period is crucial for effective monitoring strategy because it directly impacts the availability of historical performance data. Keeping data for 15 days strikes a balance between retaining necessary information for performance analysis while managing storage costs effectively. This period also facilitates timely assessments and adjustments to applications based on users' experiences and observed performance metrics.

Organizations can use this retention information to ensure they have sufficient span data available to correlate with logs and metrics when investigating incidents, enhancing their overall capabilities in performance management.