Public sector
HPI School Cloud: High Performance through Auto-Scaling of the Open-Source Services Jitsi and BigBlueButton
Starting point
- Covid-19 requires the rapid digitalisation of school education
- Performant video platforms enable online teaching
- The scalability and reliability of video services are essential
- The open-source services Jitsi and BigBlueButton (BBB) have proven themselves but are not inherently scalable
- An open-source solution based on Kubernetes is needed to automate scaling in the Ionos Cloud
Procedure
-
Innovative Approach and Agile Project Management Following Current Methodologies
- Technologies Used:
- Jitsi
- BigBluebutton (bbb)
- Scalite (Docker)
- Terraform (IONOS Cloud)
- Kubernetes
- Development of the Auto-Scaling Solution Based on System Metrics for Cost Optimisation
- Implementation of a monitoring stack for system oversight using Prometheus and Grafana.
- Establishment of a logging stack with an Elasticsearch cluster and Kibana (EFK).
Features/Project outcome
- Native Kubernetes Solution for Jitsi Video Service
- Stable Auto-Scaling: A robust auto-scaling solution enabling automated platform deployment with Terraform
- Elimination of Bottlenecks: The architecture ensures smooth operation and future scalability of the service
- Open-Source Repository: The solution is made publicly available on GitHub to foster collaboration and transparency
- Endpoint Security: All endpoints are secured using state-of-the-art standards for data protection and communication integrity
- Efficient Problem Management: Real-time monitoring and a persistent logging stack enable swift identification and resolution of issues
Customer benefits
- Video Service Hosted in Germany, Future-Proof for Online Teaching Across Multiple Federal States
- The service is live and performant, deployed in the IONOS Cloud
- The DevOps team maintains high transparency regarding the current load and system status
- Further development is seamlessly possible thanks to the open-source solution
- Data protection compliance and data security are ensured

Erich Holzinger | Senior Manager / Authorised Officer