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eBPF Observability

eBPF observability runs small, verified programs at Linux kernel and application hook points to measure what a system is doing. It can expose network flows, system calls, latency, and stack samples without adding instrumentation to every application.

itObservability and performance

eBPF Observability

eBPF observability measures Linux systems by running event-driven programs at selected kernel or application hook points. A hook fires when an event occurs, such as a system call, function entry, tracepoint, network operation, or periodic CPU sample. The attached eBPF program reads the event context, filters or aggregates data, and passes selected results to a user-space collector.

The important boundary is that eBPF is a telemetry mechanism, not an observability backend. It can collect signals near the source with system-wide context. A complete observability system still needs naming, storage, queries, visualization, alerting, and operational ownership.

The architecture

An eBPF observability path has five parts:

  1. Hook: A defined event location triggers the program. Common choices include tracepoints, kprobes, uprobes, fentry and fexit trampolines, socket hooks, and performance sampling events.
  2. Program: A short program reads the available context and performs bounded work. The program may filter events, build a key, update an aggregate, capture a stack identifier, or emit a record.
  3. Verifier and loader: A user-space loader asks the kernel to load the program. The verifier analyzes control flow, register state, pointer use, memory access, and helper use before the kernel accepts it.
  4. Maps or event buffers: Maps retain shared state and aggregates. Perf buffers or BPF ring buffers carry event records from kernel space to user space.
  5. Collector and backend: A user-space process reads results, enriches kernel identifiers with process, container, or Kubernetes metadata, then exports or stores telemetry.

This split keeps the hot-path work close to the event while moving expensive formatting, symbolization, correlation, and storage out of the kernel.

The event and data flow

Consider a collector that measures request latency from network activity:

request reaches a hook
        |
        v
eBPF program reads event context
        |
        +--> discard events outside the target
        |
        +--> update a latency histogram in a map
        |
        +--> emit selected records through a ring buffer
        v
user-space collector reads, enriches, and exports telemetry

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