A method and apparatus in a distributed processing environment for tracing events includes receiving a request to trace an event on a local processor, acquiring a sequence identifier associated with the local processor that associates the event with a chronological sequence of events on the local processor, storing the sequence identifier and information about the event in a local event trace associated with the local processor, providing the sequence identifer and information about the event to a remote processor for storage in a remote event trace. Consolidating the event traces from multiple processors into a single chronological event trace includes accessing a local event trace having one or more local trace events associated with the local processor, identifying a trace event entry having a local sequence identifier and referencing a remote processor, accessing a remote event trace associated with the remote processor and having a remote trace event entry matching the local sequence identifier, comparing the remote trace event entry with the local sequence identifier and one or more local trace events in the local event trace, and inserting the remote trace event entry into the local event trace based upon the comparison.