#59 Unpacking eBPF and Sustainability
Description
During DevWorld Amsterdam, we engage in an insightful conversation with Alessandro Vozza, a passionate advocate and user of eBPF (Extended Berkeley Packet Filter) and Cilium technologies. The discussion covers various aspects of eBPF, Cilium, and their impact on the tech community.
Key Points Discussed:
Understanding eBPF and Cilium:
Alessandro explains the complexities of eBPF Maps and how they enable the movement of data, which isn't a trivial task.
He emphasizes the brilliance of the Cilium community, particularly those who contribute to eBPF advancements, and shares his role in popularizing and making these technologies more accessible through talks and writings.
Future Plans for eBPF in 2024:
Alessandro anticipates significant technological advancements in 2024.
He discusses the recent acquisition of Isovalant, the company behind Cilium, by Cisco. While Isovalant doesn’t own Cilium (as it is open-source), the acquisition could potentially enhance contributions and development due to Cisco's support.
Open Source and Community Trust:
Despite the acquisition, Alessandro reassures that Cilium remains an open-source project with no changes anticipated in its governance. He believes having a corporate sponsor like Cisco will bring more contributions to the project.
Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Profiling:
The host and Alessandro explore how eBPF provides deep insights into networking and kernel operations, akin to X-ray vision for code profiling and performance monitoring.
They discuss various projects like Falco and Groundcover that utilize eBPF for APM purposes, enabling users to monitor application performance end-to-end.
Sustainability and Cloud Native:
Alessandro shares his involvement in organizing meetups focused on sustainability and cloud-native technologies.
They discuss an upcoming sustainability week in October, highlighting the importance of environmental sustainability in tech.
Major industry players like Intel and ARM are showing interest in carbon awareness, reflecting a growing trend in the cloud-native community.
Alessandro highlights the significance of leaving a better planet for future generations and the need to save energy and resources in tech operations.