Multi tenant observability with strong identity and mTLS

Summary

Implemented a multi tenant observability foundation with strong identity, certificate automation, and mTLS enforcement so teams can trust telemetry and operate with clear boundaries.

Context and constraints

• Multiple tenants with different compliance and ownership requirements.
• Need for consistent metrics, logs, and traces without sharing credentials.
• Operational teams required predictable onboarding and support workflows.

Identity and trust model

Defined a tenant identity model anchored on workload identity, short-lived credentials, and clear separation of control and data planes to reduce blast radius.

Certificate automation approach

• Automated certificate issuance and rotation for telemetry pipelines.
• Established mTLS defaults with managed trust bundles.
• Auditable lifecycle policies for tenant onboarding and offboarding.

Tenant onboarding pattern

Created a repeatable onboarding workflow with templates, isolated namespaces, and pre-configured dashboards so each tenant could become operational quickly.

Reliability and operational model

• Unified SLO dashboards and alert routing for shared operations.
• Runbooks that align tenant escalation with platform ownership.
• Capacity planning and retention policies to control costs.

Outcomes and impact

• Trusted telemetry pipelines with reduced access friction.
• Consistent onboarding and operational workflows across tenants.
• Improved clarity on ownership, security, and reliability posture.

Lessons learned

• Strong identity foundations simplify everything else in observability.
• Automated certificates prevent drift and reduce human error.
• Operational models must be designed as first-class platform features.