Migrating Your WebRTC Utility from Twilio to AWS: A Developer’s Information

On December fifth, 2023 Twilio introduced the Finish of Life (EOL) of their Programmable Video product. This abrupt providing discontinuation has compelled many shoppers to discover different choices for operating sensible digicam or video streaming options. On this weblog, we are going to spotlight some issues that prospects can make the most of as steerage to form their migration technique.

Scalability, depth and breadth of capabilities, and safety implementation are important parameters that can affect the design of your video streaming options and the functions constructed round it. Designing for long run reliability requires bearing in mind how your utility will deal with excessive site visitors volumes and video high quality. These are widespread challenges whereas delivering for vary of gadgets by accessible Software program Growth Kits (SDKs). Due to this fact, when your current know-how requires code modifications to lift-and-shift to new WebRTC know-how, it ought to embody a purpose-fit code migration technique that addresses the beforehand talked about challenges and gives complete testing routine to steadily cross-check your migration progress.

Amazon Kinesis Video Streams, a managed cloud service that makes it straightforward so that you can securely stream video from related gadgets to AWS for analytics, machine studying (ML), playback, and different processing. It gives a really perfect path so that you can simply assist and combine close to real-time video streams from related cameras and comparable gadgets to be used instances, comparable to surveillance, stay streaming, and video evaluation. Furthermore, Amazon Kinesis Video Streams integration with different AWS companies means that you can extensively course of and retailer giant volumes of knowledge, making it straightforward so that you can migrate your current answer with minimal disruption. On this weblog, our instance code will concentrate on serving to you migrate your current Twilio-based streaming answer to AWS with the assistance of Amazon Kinesis Video Streams. However, earlier than we go additional into the particular implementation with Amazon Kinesis Video Streams, it’s important that you just study all of the accessible choices and make an knowledgeable alternative aligned together with your use case and enterprise wants. Due to this fact, please learn Select the precise AWS video service in your use case to familiarize your self with all possible choices.

Twilio to Amazon Kinesis Video Streams Implementation

The code examples beneath present a state of affairs the place you might be changing Twilio with Amazon Kinesis Video Streams with WebRTC performance. It demonstrates primary WebRTC performance with Twilio and changing it with Amazon Kinesis Video Streams. This code doesn’t dive into many complexities of a real-world utility, comparable to full signaling logic, ICE candidate dealing with, and UI interplay. To get extra conversant in the WebRTC protocols and Amazon Kinesis Video Stream signaling, please assessment among the reference supplies talked about beneath.

Conditions

• • An AWS account
  • Kinesis Video Streams service permissions through IAM position or IAM coverage
  • An EC2 occasion or serverless capability to run NodeJS with Specific would even be essential to duplicate the code examples.

Establishing a WebRTC Connection With Twilio

The supply code beneath demonstrates Twilio API use for room creation, token era and passing the safety token to the consumer to permit connection to the room. Your use and courses might range relying in your implementation. For the aim of retaining this instance easy, our predominant JavaScript class file is the place these capabilities are outlined.

// use dotenv configuration
require("dotenv").config();

// use uuid for guids
const { v4: uuidv4 } = require("uuid");

/*
*  This part is twilio token dealing with, room creation and authn
*  That is later changed with a kvs signaling object to be used
*/

const AccessToken = require("twilio").jwt.AccessToken;
const VideoGrant = AccessToken.VideoGrant;

// ExpressJS is used to serve the appliance and deal with HTTP posts, will get, and so forth
const specific = require("specific");
const app = specific();
const port = 5000;

// use the Specific JSON middleware
app.use(specific.json());


// create the twilioClient
const twilioClient = require("twilio")(
  course of.env.TWILIO_API_KEY,
  course of.env.TWILIO_API_SECRET,
  { accountSid: course of.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID }
);

const findOrCreateRoom = async (roomName) => {
    attempt {
      // see if the room exists already. If it would not, it will throw
      // error 20404.
      await twilioClient.video.v1.rooms(roomName).fetch();
    } catch (error) {
      // the room was not discovered, so create it
      if (error.code == 20404) {
        await twilioClient.video.v1.rooms.create({
          uniqueName: roomName,
          kind: "go",
        });
      } else {
        // let different errors bubble up
        throw error;
      }
    }
  };

  const getAccessToken = (roomName) => {
    // create an entry token
    const token = new AccessToken(
      course of.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID,
      course of.env.TWILIO_API_KEY,
      course of.env.TWILIO_API_SECRET,
      // generate a random distinctive id for this participant
      { id: uuidv4() }
    );
    // create a video grant for this particular room
    const videoGrant = new VideoGrant({
      room: roomName,
    });
  
    // add the video grant
    token.addGrant(videoGrant);
    // serialize the token and return it
    return token.toJwt();
  };

The above operate definitions facilitate acquisition of a brand new Twilio room or becoming a member of one if it already exists. Twilio makes use of JSON Net Tokens (JWT) to grant entry to new or current rooms. The JWT is generated from Twilio credentials then granted to the room. These server-generated tokens are then handed to shoppers to connect with a room.

Migrating to Amazon Kinesis Video Streams

The JavaScript supply code beneath demonstrates utilizing the AWS SDK to create an Amazon Kinesis Video Streams signaling channel to be used. Once more, our predominant JavaScript class file is the place these capabilities are outlined; nevertheless, you might want to create new courses or file nomenclature to create new instantiations of Kinesis Video Stream shoppers. Producer and consumer functions require legitimate credentials to entry Amazon Kinesis video streams. Although not demonstrated beneath, this may be achieved with non permanent safety credentials in IAM in your producer and consumer utility entry.

//  That is the KVS signaling substitute
   
// Import AWS SDK and essential parts
const AWS = require('aws-sdk');
const { KinesisVideo, KinesisVideoSignalingChannels } = require('aws-sdk');

// Configure AWS credentials
AWS.config.replace({
  accessKeyId: course of.env.AWS_ACCESS_KEY,
  secretAccessKey: course of.env.AWS_SECRET_KEY,
  area: course of.env.AWS_REGION
});
// Initialize AWS Kinesis Video and Signaling Purchasers
const kinesisVideoClient = new KinesisVideo({ apiVersion: '2019-12-04' });
const signalingClient = new KinesisVideoSignalingChannels({ apiVersion: '2019-12-04' });

async operate createChannel(chnName) {
      attempt {
        information = await kinesisVideoClient.createSignalingChannel({ 
           ChannelName: chnName
           })
           .promise();
        console.log('Created signaling channel:', information.ChannelARN);
        //sigchan = information.ChannelARN;
        // Additional code for signaling in WebRTC goes right here
    } catch (error) {
        console.error('Error creating signaling channel:', error);
    }
    return information.ChannelARN;
}

// Operate to connect native media (simplified)
async operate attachLocalMedia(channelARN) {
    attempt {
      const stream = await navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia({ audio: true, video: true });
      // That is the place you'd usually join the stream to a WebRTC peer connection
      console.log('Stream able to be related to Kinesis Video Stream');
    } catch (error) {
          console.error('Media gadget entry error:', error);
    }
}

The aws-sdk gives the required libraries in your Amazon Kinesis Video Streams migration. It’s helpful and constant past this use case for the aforementioned credential administration for consumer utility entry. The JavaScript above creates a signaling channel. The signaling element manages the WebRTC signaling endpoints that permit functions to securely join with one another for peer-to-peer stay media streaming.

Server Aspect POST dealing with

The app.publish Specific routing examples beneath show a state of affairs the place utility HTTP POST calls may be modified to make the most of the newly created Amazon Kinesis Video Streams signaling channels in your video wants. It is very important notice that further capabilities for ICE signaling will probably be required for peer connectivity.

app.publish("/twexample", async (req, res) => {
  // return 400 if the request has an empty physique or no roomName
  if (!req.physique || !req.physique.roomName) {
    return res.standing(400).ship("Should embody roomName argument.");
  }
  const roomName = req.physique.roomName;
  // discover or create a room with the given roomName
  findOrCreateRoom(roomName);
  // generate an Entry Token for a participant on this room
  const token = getAccessToken(roomName);
  res.ship({
    token: token,
  });
});

/* POST to /twexample URL for a twilio room
   embody JSON within the physique to specify a room identify
   {"roomName":"our kvs signaling channel"}
*/

app.publish("/kvsexample", async (req, res) => {
  // Much less complicated than above twilio instance - if no roomName specified within the physique, use random
  if (!req.physique.roomName || req.physique.roomName.size === 0) {
    roomName = uuidv4();  
    console.log(`eval physique not met - utilizing rand ${roomName}`);
  } else {
    roomName = req.physique.roomName
  }

  sigchan = await createChannel(roomName);
 
  console.log(`arn=`, sigchan);
  res.ship({
    ChannelARN: sigchan,
  })
});

Key Adjustments within the Migration

• • • Use of Async/Await: The instance above makes use of async/await for higher dealing with of asynchronous operations. This could enhance utility efficiency lowering the necessity for complicated operate callback chains.
    • Signaling for WebRTC: The Amazon Kinesis Video Streams instance acknowledges the necessity for extra WebRTC signaling code, which is a posh course of involving creating gives, answering, and dealing with ICE candidates.

Conclusion

Transitioning to Amazon Kinesis Video Streams gives a strong platform for real-time video processing and analytics, appropriate for situations like stay streaming and surveillance. With its user-friendly options, AWS service integration and WebRTC capabilities, you solely pay for what you utilize. Another choice talked about above on this weblog might be migrating to Amazon Chime SDK, which gives a really perfect answer for real-time communication wants, facilitating video/audio conferencing and collaborative platforms with its user-friendly options and AWS service integration. For additional steerage or inquiries relating to this migration, please attain out to AWS Help or your AWS Account Workforce or submit an IoT Migration Request right here.