What purpose do latency metrics serve in Envoy?

Latency metrics in Envoy are crucial for identifying performance bottlenecks in microservices and network requests. By measuring the time it takes for requests to be processed, these metrics provide insights into the responsiveness of services and the network, allowing developers and operators to pinpoint areas where delays may be occurring. Understanding latency is essential for maintaining service-level objectives (SLOs) and optimizing the user experience, as high latency could indicate underlying issues such as slow services, inefficient routing, or overloaded resources.

Tracking these metrics enables teams to focus on optimizing the request flow and improving overall system performance. With accurate latency data, it becomes easier to make informed decisions about scaling services, optimizing configurations, or even debugging specific components that may be degrading the service quality.