AgentTrace: A Structured Logging Framework for Agent System Observability

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: AlSayyad, Adam, Huang, Kelvin Yuxiang, Pal, Richik
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2026
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author AlSayyad, Adam
Huang, Kelvin Yuxiang
Pal, Richik
author_facet AlSayyad, Adam
Huang, Kelvin Yuxiang
Pal, Richik
contents Despite the growing capabilities of autonomous agents powered by large language models (LLMs), their adoption in high-stakes domains remains limited. A key barrier is security: the inherently nondeterministic behavior of LLM agents defies static auditing approaches that have historically underpinned software assurance. Existing security methods, such as proxy-level input filtering and model glassboxing, fail to provide sufficient transparency or traceability into agent reasoning, state changes, or environmental interactions. In this work, we introduce AgentTrace, a dynamic observability and telemetry framework designed to fill this gap. AgentTrace instruments agents at runtime with minimal overhead, capturing a rich stream of structured logs across three surfaces: operational, cognitive, and contextual. Unlike traditional logging systems, AgentTrace emphasizes continuous, introspectable trace capture, designed not just for debugging or benchmarking, but as a foundational layer for agent security, accountability, and real-time monitoring. Our research highlights how AgentTrace can enable more reliable agent deployment, fine-grained risk analysis, and informed trust calibration, thereby addressing critical concerns that have so far limited the use of LLM agents in sensitive environments.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_10133
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle AgentTrace: A Structured Logging Framework for Agent System Observability
AlSayyad, Adam
Huang, Kelvin Yuxiang
Pal, Richik
Software Engineering
Artificial Intelligence
Despite the growing capabilities of autonomous agents powered by large language models (LLMs), their adoption in high-stakes domains remains limited. A key barrier is security: the inherently nondeterministic behavior of LLM agents defies static auditing approaches that have historically underpinned software assurance. Existing security methods, such as proxy-level input filtering and model glassboxing, fail to provide sufficient transparency or traceability into agent reasoning, state changes, or environmental interactions. In this work, we introduce AgentTrace, a dynamic observability and telemetry framework designed to fill this gap. AgentTrace instruments agents at runtime with minimal overhead, capturing a rich stream of structured logs across three surfaces: operational, cognitive, and contextual. Unlike traditional logging systems, AgentTrace emphasizes continuous, introspectable trace capture, designed not just for debugging or benchmarking, but as a foundational layer for agent security, accountability, and real-time monitoring. Our research highlights how AgentTrace can enable more reliable agent deployment, fine-grained risk analysis, and informed trust calibration, thereby addressing critical concerns that have so far limited the use of LLM agents in sensitive environments.
title AgentTrace: A Structured Logging Framework for Agent System Observability
topic Software Engineering
Artificial Intelligence
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.10133