Linux Networking with eBPF

eBPF (Extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a revolutionary in-kernel virtual machine that allows you to safely run custom programs inside the Linux kernel without changing the kernel source code. This transformative technology has become the cornerstone of modern cloud-native infrastructure, enabling high-performance networking, deep observability, and advanced security. It is the core of projects like Cilium, Tetragon, and Katran, and is central to the future of DevOps, site reliability engineering (SRE), and kernel programming.

Written by a seasoned expert with extensive hands-on experience in eBPF development and production deployments, this guide offers practical, battle-tested knowledge. Based on years of work with Linux networking, kernel internals, and advanced cloud security, this book provides the deep technical insight you need to master eBPF and build robust, high-performance solutions. My journey from a curious developer to an eBPF practitioner provides a unique, relatable perspective on tackling complex systems programming challenges.

This book is your complete guide to mastering eBPF for modern Linux networking and security. You'll start with the fundamental concepts of eBPF and the XDP (eXpress Data Path) and TC (Traffic Control) frameworks. From there, you'll build upon that knowledge to implement sophisticated applications, from high-speed DDoS mitigation and load balancing to cloud-native security and Zero-Trust networking. With a strong focus on practical, production-ready examples, this book will teach you how to write, debug, and deploy your own eBPF programs, ensuring you are equipped to thrive in today's containerized and Kubernetes-driven environments.

What's Inside

• eBPF Fundamentals: Learn the architecture, instruction set, verifier, and BTF (BPF Type Format).

• Networking with XDP and TC: Develop powerful packet filters, load balancers, and traffic shapers.

• Observability and Tracing: Use kprobes and tracepoints for low-overhead system observability and performance analysis.

• eBPF Security: Implement runtime security, microsegmentation, and access control policies for container security and Kubernetes.

• Hands-on Projects: Build a DDoS filter, a custom load balancer, and an identity-aware firewall.

• The Future of eBPF: Explore cutting-edge topics like eBPF LSM, CO-RE (Compile Once – Run Everywhere), and its expansion beyond Linux.

This book is for system administrators, network engineers, DevOps engineers, SREs, and security professionals who work with Linux and are ready to elevate their skills. It's for anyone who wants to understand and harness the power of the Linux kernel for advanced networking and security. A basic understanding of Linux command-line and C programming will be helpful, but the book is structured to guide you from foundational concepts to advanced applications.

Don't get left behind. The industry is rapidly adopting eBPF, making it a critical skill for cloud-native computing. This technology is already at the heart of key infrastructure projects and is poised to become even more pervasive. Investing your time now in mastering eBPF will future-proof your career and enable you to build the next generation of resilient, secure, and high-performance systems.

Transform your expertise from user-space to kernel-space. Dive deep into the Linux kernel, unlock unparalleled performance, and secure your infrastructure from the ground up. Get your copy now and become an eBPF expert!