How It Works

Qtap is Qpoint's host-based agent that provides deep visibility into application traffic through various kernel and library integration points. The agent employs multiple complementary approaches to gather comprehensive data about external traffic, with all connections visible through base socket layer monitoring and extended payload visibility available through either native TLS integration or egress controller mode.

Connections

All outbound connections are visible through Qtap's eBPF-based socket layer integration, regardless of the runtime environment or TLS implementation.

What We Capture:

• Connection establishment and teardown

• Source and destination information

• Bandwidth usage

• Protocol details

• Process attribution

How It Works:

• eBPF programs attach to kernel socket functions

• Captures events for TCP/IP operations

• Provides real-time visibility into network flows

• Associates connections with process context

This base layer ensures complete visibility into all network connections, forming the foundation for Qpoint's observability capabilities.

An example of Socket Layer Connection Attribution

Payloads

Beyond connection visibility, Qtap can capture payload content through two different mechanisms:

Native TLS Integration

Qtap provides automatic payload visibility for applications using supported TLS libraries, requiring zero configuration. The process works by using eBPF uprobes to attach to specific SSL/TLS functions in the library, allowing us to capture data before encryption (for outbound traffic) or after decryption (for inbound traffic).

How It Works:

1. When a program starts, Qtap scans its ELF (Executable and Linkable Format) file

2. Qtap identifies and locates SSL/TLS-related functions in memory

3. eBPF uprobes are attached to these functions (e.g., SSL_read, SSL_write)

4. When the functions are called, Qtap captures the raw data buffer

5. The captured data is processed locally on the host

Supported Libraries:

• OpenSSL

• GoTLS

• NodeTLS

Egress Controller

For runtimes where native TLS integration isn't possible or preferred, Qtap provides an egress controller mode:

How It Works:

• Local HTTP(S) proxy on the host

• Transparent traffic redirection

• Local TLS termination and re-encryption

Configuration:

# Required Environment Variables
QPOINT_STRATEGY=forward    # Enables egress controller mode
TRUST_STORE=/path/to/certs # Certificate store location

Common Use Cases:

• Java applications

• Custom TLS implementations

• Legacy runtimes

Runtime Support Matrix

Runtime	Base Visibility	Extended Visibility Method	Configuration Needed
OpenSSL-based	Yes	Native TLS	None
GoTLS	Yes	Native TLS	None
NodeTLS	Yes	Native TLS	None
Java	Yes	Egress Controller	Environment Vars
Custom TLS	Yes	Egress Controller	Environment Vars
Other Runtimes	Yes	Egress Controller	Environment Vars