What function does the x-Dynatrace header serve?

The x-Dynatrace header serves a crucial function in linking web servers for transaction stitching. This is an essential aspect of monitoring applications, especially those built with microservices or distributed architectures. When a user initiates a transaction that spans multiple services or components, the x-Dynatrace header allows the application to maintain context across these different elements of the transaction.

This header contains necessary information to correlate traces of a user's actions as they interact with various parts of the system. By including this header in requests, Dynatrace can stitch together the transaction journey across different web servers, providing a cohesive view of the performance and user experience. This enables developers and operators to diagnose issues and understand user behavior more effectively, making it an invaluable tool in application performance management.

The other choices do not accurately describe the function of the x-Dynatrace header. While user action data might be stored in Dynatrace for analysis, it is not specifically housed within the x-Dynatrace header. Encryption of user data is a separate concern related to security measures, and tracking session time pertains to monitoring user engagement, which does not directly involve the context being managed by the x-Dynatrace header in transaction tracing.