Scaling Live Podcasts with Terraform based Jitsi Infrastructure
Table of Contents
Our client is a leading podcast platform providing entrepreneurs a place to create, grow and monetize their businesses with next-level podcast. They approached us to enhance their Jitsi-based video conferencing system with event-based scaling to ensure optimal performance during peak usage.
The Challenge
Our client has a dynamic online platform hosting interactive digital events, required a scalable and cost-effective solution for their real-time communication (RTC) infrastructure. Their existing Jitsi deployment faced limitations in handling unpredictable spikes in concurrent users during live events, leading to performance bottlenecks and poor user experience.
Our Approach
To address these challenges, we proposed an event-driven scaling architecture for their Jitsi and Jibri (recording) deployments. This involved:
1. Custom code builds: Our client retained control over Jitsi and Jibri code by providing prebuilt artifacts for seamless integration.
2. Scalable infrastructure: We defined a serverless architecture built on VMs, containers, and serverless functions that could auto-scale based on specific events.
3. Triggering metrics: CPU utilization, queue lengths, and incoming requests were identified as key metrics to trigger scaling events.
4. Terraform configuration: We developed Terraform scripts to define and manage the infrastructure components, including modules for code reusability, parameterized configurations for flexibility, and built-in scaling policies and triggers.
5. Event-driven logic: An event source (e.g., Kafka) captured event data regarding participant influx, and a custom scaling logic interpreted these events to initiate appropriate Terraform commands for scaling up or down Jitsi and Jibri resources. Cooldown periods and thresholds prevented erratic scaling fluctuations.
6. REST API integration: An easy-to-use REST API was implemented for external control and monitoring of the scaling system. Endpoints facilitated scaling actions, resource utilization reporting, and secure access with authentication and authorization mechanisms.
The Outcome
This case study demonstrates how event-driven automation and Terraform played a pivotal role in providing a scalable, cost-effective, and robust solution for their real-time communication needs. Our approach empowered to deliver a seamless and engaging online event experience for their users, while optimizing operational efficiency and resource utilization.