microsoft/aspire · error · InvalidOperationException

Histogram data point sum must be finite.

Error message

Histogram data point sum must be finite.

What it means

OtlpHelpers.ValidateHistogramDataPoint sanity-checks incoming OTLP histogram points before they are converted into dashboard metrics. A histogram sum of NaN or infinity cannot be charted or aggregated, so it throws InvalidOperationException. Companion checks require explicit bounds when bucket counts are present.

Solutions

1. Fix the emitting application so recorded values are finite — guard against NaN/Infinity before recording histogram measurements
2. Sanitize sums at the collector (filter/transform processor) to drop or repair non-finite data points
3. Identify the offending instrument via the metric name/dimensions in the failing export and add validation at the instrumentation site
4. Update the metrics SDK/instrument library if the non-finite sum originates from a known bug

Example fix

// before
histogram.Record(duration.TotalMilliseconds); // may be NaN when stopwatch failed
// after
var ms = duration.TotalMilliseconds;
if (double.IsFinite(ms))
{
    histogram.Record(ms);
}

if (!double.IsFinite(dataPoint.Sum))
    throw new InvalidOperationException("Rejecting histogram point: Sum is NaN or infinite.");
if (dataPoint.BucketCounts.Count > 0 && dataPoint.ExplicitBounds.Count == 0)
    throw new InvalidOperationException("Bucket counts require explicit bounds.");

static bool IsValidHistogramDataPoint(HistogramDataPoint p) =>
    double.IsFinite(p.Sum) &&
    (p.BucketCounts.Count == 0 || p.ExplicitBounds.Count > 0);

try { ConvertHistogram(dataPoint); }
catch (InvalidOperationException ex)
{
    logger.LogWarning(ex, "Skipping invalid OTLP histogram data point for metric {Name}.", point.MetricName);
}

When it happens

Trigger: Receiving an OTLP ExportMetricsServiceRequest whose histogram data point Sum is NaN or +/-Infinity — typically from a producer computing sums with non-finite values (division by zero, NaN counters) before exporting.

Common situations: Instrumentation bugs where the sum accumulates NaN (e.g. recording NaN durations); exotic timers/clocks producing infinite values; third-party meters exporting degenerate histograms; metric data corrupted upstream.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Must be a positive integer", "Invalid value", "Unsupported": the invalid-argument-value error family, when a library rejects the value you pass — this error's family across 35 libraries.

Related errors

• Histogram data point has bucket counts without any explicit…
• Metric data point value must be finite.
• Dimension limit of reached.
• Histogram data point bucket count length changed.
• Histogram data point bucket count length changed.

AI-assisted analysis of microsoft/aspire@25830f84bd (2026-09-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/fb804e76ef88ecfd. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/Aspire.Dashboard/Otlp/Model/OtlpHelpers.cs:63

    internal static int GetMetricDataPointCount(Metric metric)
    {
        return metric.DataCase switch
        {
            Metric.DataOneofCase.Gauge => metric.Gauge.DataPoints.Count,
            Metric.DataOneofCase.Sum => metric.Sum.DataPoints.Count,
            Metric.DataOneofCase.Histogram => metric.Histogram.DataPoints.Count,
            Metric.DataOneofCase.Summary => metric.Summary.DataPoints.Count,
            Metric.DataOneofCase.ExponentialHistogram => metric.ExponentialHistogram.DataPoints.Count,
            _ => 0,
        };
    }

    internal static void ValidateHistogramDataPoint(HistogramDataPoint point)
    {
        if (!double.IsFinite(point.Sum))
        {
            throw new InvalidOperationException("Histogram data point sum must be finite.");
        }

        if (point.BucketCounts.Count > 0 && point.ExplicitBounds.Count == 0)
        {
            throw new InvalidOperationException("Histogram data point has bucket counts without any explicit bounds.");
        }
    }

    internal static void ValidateNumberDataPoint(NumberDataPoint point)
    {
        if (point.ValueCase == NumberDataPoint.ValueOneofCase.AsDouble && !double.IsFinite(point.AsDouble))
        {
            throw new InvalidOperationException("Metric data point value must be finite.");
        }
    }

    public static ResourceKey GetResourceKey(this Resource resource)
    {

View on GitHub (pinned to 25830f84bd)