Pixie

KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2026

Session Date: March 24, 2026 — London

What is Pixie?

  • eBPF-powered observability platform for Kubernetes
  • Auto-instruments applications — no code changes required
  • Captures full-body requests, metrics, and traces at the kernel level
  • CNCF Sandbox project, originally created by New Relic

How Pixie Works

  • Deploys as a DaemonSet using eBPF probes
  • Captures protocol-level data (HTTP, gRPC, SQL, DNS, etc.)
  • Data stays in-cluster — no external data transfer by default
  • Query using PxL (Pixie Language) scripts

Key Capabilities

Feature Description
Auto-tracing Full-body request/response capture via eBPF
Service Maps Automatic topology visualization
Flamegraphs CPU profiling without instrumentation
DNS Monitoring DNS request tracking and latency
Database Queries SQL query capture and analysis

Relevance to KubeCon 2026

  • Part of the broader eBPF observability trend alongside Cilium and GroundCover
  • Demonstrates the shift toward kernel-level instrumentation over sidecar-based approaches
  • Complements Cilium's networking focus with application-layer visibility

Questions?

KubeCon EU 2026 — London