eBPF for Kubernetes in Production: Observability, Networking, and Runtime Security with Cilium, Tetragon, Falco, Pixie, and Parca

By Hollis Denning

Kubernetes observability and security have changed.

Traditional logging, sidecars, and metrics scraping are no longer enough for production-grade clusters. Modern platforms demand kernel-level visibility, deterministic networking, continuous profiling, and runtime enforcement - without sacrificing performance.

eBPF for Kubernetes in Production is a hands-on, operator-focused guide to building a real-world, production-ready eBPF operations stack from the ground up.

This is not a theoretical introduction to eBPF.

This book shows you how to:

Deploy Cilium as a high-performance eBPF data planeUse Hubble for flow-level network triage and policy validationDebug live applications with Pixie - without modifying codeIdentify CPU hotspots safely using Parca continuous profilingDetect and enforce runtime behavior with TetragonIntegrate Falco in modern eBPF mode for syscall-level detectionBuild regression-proof upgrade workflowsStage runtime enforcement safelyCorrelate networking, latency, CPU, and security signalsRun full-stack incident drills under real load

Every chapter is practical. Every section builds toward a production-grade capstone.

You will construct a complete eBPF-powered Kubernetes operations platform and then stress-test it through a guided "week of incidents" - including dropped traffic, latency regressions, CPU burn, and suspicious runtime activity - while capturing evidence, executing containment, and validating rollback procedures.

This book is designed for:

Platform EngineersSite Reliability Engineers (SRE)DevSecOps practitionersCloud-native infrastructure teamsSecurity engineers working in Kubernetes environments

By the end of this book, you will not just understand eBPF - you will operate Kubernetes with it.

You will gain:

Deterministic troubleshooting workflowsZero-trust networking and runtime enforcement patternsProduction-safe upgrade and rollback disciplineOperator-grade runbooks and validation checklistsA scalable foundation for multi-cluster and SLO-driven operations

If you are responsible for Kubernetes in production and want deep visibility without invasive instrumentation, this book provides the architecture, workflows, and operational discipline to make eBPF a first-class part of your platform.

Stop guessing.
Start correlating.
Operate Kubernetes with kernel-level truth.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GSRSVWLK
• ISBN13: 9798252301037
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 1.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.5" x 11.0"