What is zero-instrumentation monitoring and how does it work?

Zero-instrumentation monitoring is a revolutionary approach that monitors applications without requiring any code changes, agents, or SDKs. HyperObserve uses eBPF (Extended Berkeley Packet Filter) technology to observe applications at the kernel level, capturing performance data, traces, and metrics automatically. This means you get complete visibility into your application's behavior without modifying a single line of code or installing monitoring agents that consume 15-20% of your CPU resources.

How long does it take to deploy HyperObserve monitoring?

HyperObserve can be deployed in under 5 minutes. Simply run our single Docker command or Kubernetes deployment, and you'll instantly have visibility across your entire stack. Unlike traditional APM tools that require weeks of instrumentation, agent installation, and configuration, HyperObserve automatically discovers all services, databases, and infrastructure components without any manual setup.

What are the system requirements for HyperObserve?

HyperObserve requires Linux kernel 4.4+ (recommended 5.0+ for optimal eBPF features), at least 1GB RAM, and network connectivity. It supports all major cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure), on-premises deployments, and hybrid environments. No special permissions or root access to your applications is needed - only standard container runtime privileges for the HyperObserve agent.

Can HyperObserve monitor applications without code access?

Yes! HyperObserve monitors applications entirely from the outside using kernel-level observability. It doesn't need access to your source code, application logs, or configuration files. This makes it perfect for monitoring third-party applications, legacy systems, or any scenario where code modification is impossible or undesirable.

What is eBPF and why is it better than traditional monitoring?

eBPF (Extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel technology that allows safe, efficient programs to run in kernel space. For monitoring, this means HyperObserve can observe all application behavior - network calls, file I/O, database queries, and more - without any application-level instrumentation. Traditional monitoring requires agents that consume 15-20% CPU overhead, while eBPF-based monitoring uses less than 2% CPU, making it 10x more efficient.

How does eBPF monitoring compare to agent-based APM tools?

eBPF monitoring is fundamentally different from agent-based APM. Agents inject code into your application, consuming significant resources (15-20% CPU) and requiring constant updates. eBPF operates at the kernel level with <2% overhead, requires no code changes, can't crash your application, and provides deeper visibility into system calls, network traffic, and resource usage that agents simply can't access.

Is eBPF monitoring secure and production-ready?

Yes, eBPF is extremely secure and used by tech giants like Netflix, Facebook, and Google in production. The Linux kernel verifies all eBPF programs before execution, ensuring they can't crash the system or access unauthorized data. HyperObserve is SOC2 compliant, uses eBPF's built-in security sandbox, and has been battle-tested in enterprise environments processing billions of events daily.

How much does HyperObserve cost compared to Datadog or New Relic?

HyperObserve is 90% more cost-effective than traditional APM tools. While Datadog charges $155/host/month and New Relic charges $149/host/month, HyperObserve pricing starts at $99/host/month for the Pro tier, with a generous free tier for up to 5 hosts. Additionally, you save on infrastructure costs since our <2% CPU overhead is significantly lower than the 15-20% overhead of traditional agents.

What's included in the HyperObserve free tier?

The HyperObserve free tier includes monitoring for up to 5 hosts with full access to APM, infrastructure monitoring, distributed tracing, and basic alerting. You get 7-day data retention, unlimited team members, and all core monitoring features. This is perfect for small teams, development environments, or trying HyperObserve before scaling up.

Are there any hidden costs with HyperObserve?

No hidden costs. HyperObserve has transparent, predictable pricing based solely on the number of hosts. Unlike competitors who charge extra for data ingestion, custom metrics, or advanced features, HyperObserve includes everything in one simple price. You also save on indirect costs since our low overhead means you need fewer servers to handle the same workload.

What types of monitoring does HyperObserve provide?

HyperObserve provides comprehensive monitoring including: Application Performance Monitoring (APM) with automatic code profiling, Infrastructure monitoring for servers and containers, Database monitoring for MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis without needing credentials, Distributed tracing across microservices, Kubernetes and Docker container monitoring, Real-time alerting and anomaly detection, Custom dashboards and visualizations. All of this without any code instrumentation.

Can HyperObserve monitor microservices and distributed systems?

Yes! HyperObserve excels at monitoring microservices and distributed systems. It automatically discovers service dependencies, traces requests across multiple services, and provides full visibility into service mesh communications. Using eBPF, it captures all network traffic between services, providing distributed tracing without any code changes or service mesh modifications.

Does HyperObserve support database monitoring?

HyperObserve monitors all major databases including MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch, and more - without requiring database credentials or query logs. It captures query performance, slow queries, connection pools, and resource usage by observing database protocol traffic at the kernel level. This provides complete database visibility without the security risks of credential management.

Is HyperObserve SOC2 compliant?

Yes, HyperObserve is SOC2 Type II compliant. We undergo regular third-party security audits, maintain strict data encryption standards, and follow security best practices. Our eBPF-based approach is inherently more secure than traditional agents since we don't inject code into your applications or require access to sensitive application data or credentials.

How does HyperObserve handle sensitive data?

HyperObserve never accesses your application's business data. We only collect performance metrics, not the actual data being processed. All data is encrypted in transit using TLS 1.3 and at rest using AES-256. You can configure data retention policies, and we support both cloud and on-premises deployments for organizations with strict data residency requirements.

Can HyperObserve be deployed in air-gapped environments?

Yes, HyperObserve supports fully on-premises deployments in air-gapped environments. You can run the entire HyperObserve stack within your infrastructure without any external connectivity. This is ideal for government, financial services, and healthcare organizations with strict security requirements.

How do I migrate from Datadog to HyperObserve?

Migrating from Datadog to HyperObserve is straightforward: 1) Deploy HyperObserve alongside your existing Datadog agents (they won't conflict), 2) Verify that HyperObserve is capturing all your metrics and traces, 3) Export any custom dashboards using our migration tools, 4) Remove Datadog agents to immediately reduce CPU usage by 15-20%. The entire migration typically takes less than a day with zero downtime.

Does HyperObserve integrate with existing DevOps tools?

Yes, HyperObserve integrates with all major DevOps tools including PagerDuty, Slack, Jira, Grafana, Prometheus, and more. We provide REST APIs, webhooks, and pre-built integrations. You can also export metrics in Prometheus format, send alerts to any webhook endpoint, and use our Terraform provider for infrastructure-as-code deployments.

What happens if HyperObserve agent crashes or stops?

If the HyperObserve agent stops, your applications continue running normally without any impact. Unlike APM agents that can crash your application, HyperObserve runs completely separately at the kernel level. The agent has automatic restart capabilities, health checks, and can buffer data locally during network outages to prevent data loss.

Migration Time: Under 2 Hours

Migrate from Datadog to HyperObserve

Switch to zero-instrumentation monitoring in under 2 hours. Save 70% on costs, reduce overhead by 90%, and get better visibility with no code changes.

Start Migration Now Calculate Savings

Why Teams Switch from Datadog

70% Cost Reduction

Save thousands per month with transparent pricing and no hidden data costs

90% Less Overhead

eBPF technology uses <2% CPU vs Datadog's 10-15% agent overhead

Zero Code Changes

No SDKs, no instrumentation, no code modifications ever needed

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Datadog	HyperObserve	Your Benefit
CPU Overhead	10-15%	<2%	85% reduction
Memory Usage	2-3GB per host	200MB	90% reduction
Code Changes	Required	Zero	100% eliminated
Database Monitoring	Credentials needed	Automatic	Security improved
Deployment Time	Days to weeks	5 minutes	99% faster
Pricing Model	Per host + data	Simple per host	70% cost reduction

5-Step Migration Process

Zero downtime migration completed in under 2 hours

Deploy HyperObserve Agent

5 minutes

Install our lightweight eBPF agent alongside Datadog - no conflicts

# Download and install HyperObserve agent
curl -sSL https://install.hyperobserve.io | sh
# Configure with your API key
hyperobserve configure --api-key YOUR_API_KEY
# Start the agent
sudo systemctl start hyperobserve

Automatic Service Discovery

Instant

HyperObserve automatically discovers all services, databases, and infrastructure

No manual configuration required
Discovers services Datadog might miss
Zero code changes needed
Works with any language or framework

Run in Parallel (Optional)

1-2 weeks

Compare metrics and ensure HyperObserve captures everything you need

Verify all services are discovered

Compare key metrics accuracy

Test alerting and dashboards

Validate cost savings

Migrate Dashboards & Alerts

1-2 hours

Import your Datadog dashboards or use our pre-built templates

Dashboard import tool

Alert migration wizard

Pre-built dashboard library

Custom metric mapping

Remove Datadog Agents

30 minutes

Safely uninstall Datadog agents and remove instrumentation code

Reduce CPU overhead by 90%

Free up 2-3GB RAM per host

Eliminate agent management

Remove code dependencies

Cost Savings Calculator

Current Datadog Costs (per host/month)

Infrastructure Monitoring$50

APM & Distributed Tracing$40

Log Management$15

Synthetics$5

Total per host$110

HyperObserve (Everything Included)

All Features Included

✓ Infrastructure Monitoring
✓ APM & Distributed Tracing
✓ Log Analysis
✓ Synthetic Monitoring
✓ Database Monitoring
✓ Security Monitoring

Total per host$29

$81/month saved

74% cost reduction

For 100 hosts, that's $8100/month or $97200/year in savings

View detailed pricing

Ready to Get Started?

Download our migration toolkit and start saving today

Migration Toolkit Includes:

Step-by-step migration guide

Dashboard import tool

Alert migration scripts

Cost comparison worksheet

Download Migration Toolkit

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about zero-instrumentation monitoring and HyperObserve

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