Learning eBPF

Unlock the power of eBPF, the revolutionary Linux kernel technology transforming observability, networking, and security. This book serves as your comprehensive resource to master this cutting-edge technology, whether you are a beginner exploring its potential or a seasoned professional seeking in-depth knowledge.

Embark on a structured learning journey, starting with classic BPF (cBPF) and its evolution to modern eBPF, grasping its architecture and core programming primitives like the BPF syscall and various program/attachment types. Discover practical development using key eBPF programming libraries such as libbpf and bpftrace, and learn to write your first program. Explore BPF portability with CO-RE and efficient eBPF deployment. Uncover potent applications in eBPF observability (kprobes, tracepoints), eBPF networking (XDP, socket filters), and eBPF security. Finally, delve into key eBPF open-source projects like Cilium and Falco.

By the end of this definitive guide, you will possess a robust understanding of eBPF, equipped with the practical skills to develop, deploy, and leverage its immense capabilities across diverse domains, making you a proficient practitioner in this transformative field.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
● cBPF history, eBPF architecture, core primitives, and deployment.
● eBPF programming, portability, observability, networking, and security.
● BPF evolution, eBPF internals, practical application, and ecosystem.
● Kernel probing, packet manipulation, and secure eBPF development.
● eBPF tools, libraries, deployment strategies, and open-source projects.
● Tracing kernel/user space, network filtering/modification, and security enforcement.
● Understanding BPF syscall, program/attach types, and map utilization.
● Developing portable eBPF, managing lifecycle, and exploring use cases.

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR
Whether you are a software developer, network engineer, security professional, or systems administrator, this book provides the knowledge to leverage eBPF for enhanced system observability, advanced networking, and security enforcement in your environment.

1. Classic Berkeley Packet Filter
2. Extended Berkeley Packet Filter
3. eBPF Programming Concepts
4. eBPF Programming Libraries and Frameworks
5. Writing Your First eBPF Program
6. eBPF Portability and Deploying
7. eBPF Observability
8. eBPF Networking
9. eBPF Security
10. eBPF Open Source Projects and the Future of eBPF

Michael Kehoe is a distinguished author, speaker, and senior staff cloud and reliability architect at Confluent. In his current role, he is spearheading a comprehensive initiative to revamp the company’s cloud platform.

Previously, as a senior staff site reliability engineer (SRE) at LinkedIn, Michael played a pivotal role in orchestrating LinkedIn’s seamless transition to the Microsoft Azure platform. His expertise in reliability engineering was instrumental in ensuring the platform’s stability and performance. During his tenure at LinkedIn, Michael led critical initiatives in incident response, disaster recovery, visibility engineering, and reliability principles. He was also embedded with the profile, traffic, and espresso (KV Store) teams. Having successfully overseen the construction of LinkedIn’s final physical data center, Michael assumed a pivotal role in shaping the infrastructure blueprint for LinkedIn’s expansion into Microsoft Azure.