Changes/DefaultBpfman

Fedora 40: Bpfman as default eBPF manager (Self-Contained Change proposal)

This is a proposed Change for Fedora Linux.
This document represents a proposed Change. As part of the Changes process, proposals are publicly announced in order to receive community feedback. This proposal will only be implemented if approved by the Fedora Engineering Steering Committee.

Owner

• Name: Daniel Mellado
• Email: dmellado@fedoraproject.org
• Name: Dave Tucker
• Email: datucker@redhat.com
• Name: Toke Høiland-Jørgensen
• Email: thoiland@redhat.com

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora Linux 40
• Last updated: 2024-01-10
• [<will be assigned by the Wrangler> devel thread]
• FESCo issue: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>

Detailed Description

bpfman operates as an eBPF manager, focusing on simplifying the deployment and administration of eBPF programs. bpfman is a software stack that aims to make it easy to load, unload, modify and monitor eBPF programs whether on a single host, or in a Kubernetes cluster. bpfman includes the following core components:

• bpfman: A system daemon that supports loading, unloading, modifying and monitoring of eBPF programs exposed over a gRPC API.
• eBPF CRDS: bpfman provides a set of CRDs (XdpProgram, TcProgram, etc.) that provide a way to express intent to load eBPF programs as well as a bpfman generated CRD (BpfProgram) used to represent the runtime state of loaded programs.
• bpfman-agent: The agent runs in a container in the bpfman daemonset and ensures that the requested eBPF programs for a given node are in the desired state.
• bpfman-operator: An operator, built using Operator SDK, that manages the installation and lifecycle of bpfman-agent and the CRDs in a Kubernetes cluster.

bpfman is developed in Rust and built on top of Aya, a Rust eBPF library.

Feedback

N/A

Benefit to Fedora

bpfman is a software stack simplifying the management of eBPF programs in Kubernetes clusters or on individual hosts. It comprises a system daemon (bpfman), eBPF Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs), an agent (bpfman-agent), and an operator (bpfman-operator). Developed in Rust on the Aya library, bpfman offers improved security, visibility, multi-program support, and enhanced productivity for developers.

For Fedora, integrating bpfman would streamline eBPF program loading. It enhances security by restricting privileges to the controlled bpfman daemon, simplifies deployment in Kubernetes clusters, and offers improved visibility into running eBPF programs. This integration aligns with Fedora's commitment to providing efficient and secure solutions, making it easier for users to leverage the benefits of eBPF in their systems.

Scope

• Proposal owners:Submit / review pull-requests and packages to Fedora
• Other developers:

• Release engineering: #Releng issue number

• Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)

• Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)

• Alignment with Community Initiatives: N/A

Contingency Plan

• Contingency mechanism: (What to do? Who will do it?) N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change), No

Documentation

• https://bpfman.io/main/