Overview

eBPF (Extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a powerful Linux kernel technology that allows running custom programs inside the kernel safely and efficiently. This enables deep, real-time insights into system and network behavior, especially valuable for monitoring Kubernetes cluster network traffic.

By leveraging eBPF, OpsRamp provides detailed network visibility into Kubernetes clusters, helping users monitor key metrics such as:

  • Packet count
  • Byte count
  • Latency (SRTT - Smoothed Round Trip Time)

Capabilities of eBPF include:

  • Monitoring system performance and security
  • Tracing kernel functions and user-space programs
  • Collecting detailed troubleshooting metrics
  • Enforcing security policies

How does eBPF Work?

  • Write small programs in a restricted, safe language.
  • Load and verify these programs into the Linux kernel.
  • Attach programs to kernel events, such as system calls or network packets.
  • Run programs inside the kernel in a sandboxed (contained) environment when those events occur, collecting or modifying data.
  • Send data back to user-space tools for analysis and monitoring.

This approach is highly efficient and safe due to kernel-level verification and sandboxing.

How eBPF Works in Kubernetes?

In Kubernetes, eBPF provides:

  • Kernel-level monitoring: Real-time tracing of network packets, system calls, and process events.
  • Lightweight, agentless observability: No need for proxies or sidecars to monitor pod-to-pod traffic.
  • Network observability: Detect latency, errors, and security threats across pods, services, and nodes.
  • Security enforcement: Block unauthorized connections and monitor suspicious container activity.
  • Performance profiling: Identify bottlenecks and optimize resource usage with fine-grained metrics.

Benefits of eBPF for Kubernetes Network Visibility

  • Deep, real-time network insights without performance overhead
  • Secure, sandboxed monitoring programs ensure system stability
  • Supports complex security policies and anomaly detection
  • Simplifies troubleshooting with detailed, per-pod visibility
  • Enables network visibility even in complex containerized environments