- Deprecate `es.max_num_spans` in favor of configurable `es.max_doc_count`; if both are set the lower wins and the flag is slated for removal in v1.21.0. Also disable clock‑skew adjustment by default (`query.max_clock_skew_adjustment` set ...
- Introduce new capabilities: GRPC plugin archive storage, separate GRPC and HTTP ports for the query server, OTEL storage metrics by span service name, and a Grafana integration example.
- Fix numerous bugs and make minor improvements: migrate to OTEL Kafka exporter/receiver, resolve panics and TLS flag issues, run Jaeger agent as non‑root by default, update certificates to use SANs, and improve macOS test stability.