> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://asymptotelabs-fix-postinstall-refresh-user-hooks.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# SDK Lifecycle

> Flush and shut down Asymptote Observe tracing

## Lifecycle Overview

Use `Observe.flush()` and `Observe.shutdown()` to control when finished spans are exported and when the SDK releases tracing resources.

## Flush

`Observe.flush()` forces the current provider to export finished spans.

```typescript title="Flush spans" lines theme={null}
await Observe.flush();
```

Use `flush()` when the process may terminate before the batch exporter sends spans in the background:

| Environment              | Guidance                                                               |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| CLI scripts              | Flush before process exit                                              |
| CI jobs                  | Flush before the job step exits                                        |
| Serverless handlers      | Flush before returning when spans were created immediately before exit |
| Long-running web servers | Prefer graceful shutdown hooks instead of flushing on every request    |

Flushing inside every web request can add latency. In long-running services, let the batch processor export normally and flush during shutdown.

## Shutdown

`Observe.shutdown()` disables instrumentations, shuts down the provider, and clears SDK state so the process can initialize again with different options.

```typescript title="Shut down tracing" lines theme={null}
await Observe.shutdown();
```

Use shutdown when the process owns the provider lifecycle:

```typescript title="Handle graceful shutdown" lines theme={null}
import { Observe } from "@asymptote/sdk";

process.on("SIGTERM", async () => {
  await Observe.shutdown();
  process.exit(0);
});
```

## Reinitialization

`Observe.initialize()` rejects conflicting reinitialization while the SDK is active. To change exporter settings, shut down first:

```typescript title="Reinitialize with a new exporter" lines theme={null}
await Observe.shutdown();

Observe.initialize({
  otlpEndpoint: process.env.OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT,
});
```

If the SDK is already initialized, a later `Observe.initialize({ instrumentModules })` call patches additional modules without replacing the provider.

## Short-Lived Example

```typescript title="Short-lived job example" lines theme={null}
import { Observe } from "@asymptote/sdk";

Observe.initialize({
  apiKey: process.env.ASYMPTOTE_API_KEY,
});

const run = Observe.observe({ name: "agent.job" }, async () => {
  return runAgentJob();
});

await run();
await Observe.flush();
```