Using eBPF for Advanced Kernel-Level Observability in Production

Using eBPF for Advanced Kernel-Level Observability in Production Observing production systems at the kernel level used to be dangerous, expensive, and often required a reboot. With the rise of eBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter), engineers now have a powerful way to run sandboxed programs in the Linux kernel—safely and in real time. eBPF unlocks deep visibility into networking, system calls, security events, and performance bottlenecks without touching application code. This post will guide you through the core benefits, tools, and practices for using eBPF to monitor live Linux production environments securely. 📌 Table of Contents What is eBPF and Why It Matters Observability Benefits with eBPF Popular Tools Built on eBPF Production Use Cases for eBPF Best Practices for Using eBPF in Live Systems 📘 What is eBPF and Why It Matters eBPF allows small programs to run inside the Linux kernel at runtime, without needing to change kernel code or res...