2025-03-31 –, The Waterloo
Real-time communication (RTC) applications powered by WebRTC are at the forefront of modern technology, from video conferencing to gaming—and now even enabling real-time multimodal AI systems. However, WebRTC’s peer-to-peer networking model, while essential for low-latency communication, creates unique challenges when deploying in Kubernetes. Its reliance on dynamic port allocation and NAT traversal makes integration into Kubernetes clusters particularly complex.
In this session, we’ll explore the fundamentals of the WebRTC networking model and why traditional deployment approaches—such as using host networking—fall short in Kubernetes environments. We’ll then introduce STUNner, an open-source Kubernetes-native STUN/TURN media gateway that simplifies WebRTC deployment by acting as an Ingress for media traffic, much like Kubernetes Ingress API works for HTTP. STUNner eliminates the need for external NAT traversal services and enables scalable, secure, and efficient deployment of WebRTC applications directly within Kubernetes.
Attendees will learn about the basics of WebRTC deployments in Kubernetes, the design principles behind STUNner, and how it provides a seamless solution. To cap off the session, we’ll present a live demo of deploying a simple WebRTC media server into Kubernetes, showcasing how STUNner transforms real-time communication infrastructure for cloud-native environments. Whether you’re building RTC applications or scaling multimodal AI systems, this talk will provide practical insights and tools to simplify your journey.
This talk will cover the basics of the WebRTC peer-to-peer networking model and the critical roles of STUN and TURN in enabling real-time communication. We'll explore the challenges of integrating WebRTC with Kubernetes due to its networking model incompatibilities and examine the traditional workaround of using host networking. Finally, we’ll introduce STUNner, a Kubernetes-native WebRTC media gateway designed to simplify deployments by mimicking the behavior of HTTP Ingress for media traffic. The session will conclude with a live demo showcasing the deployment of an open-source media server in Kubernetes using STUNner.
Péter holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering and a PhD in Computer Science. A long-time member of the Budapest cloud-native community, he has contributed to the ecosystem through both technical expertise and advocacy. Previously, Péter founded LeanNet, a consultancy specializing in cloud-native solutions, which was later acquired by adesso SE. He also serves as a part-time assistant professor at Eötvös Loránd University, where he teaches cloud-native technologies to the next generation of engineers. Currently, Péter is the co-founder of L7mp Technologies, a company focused on integrating WebRTC solutions into the cloud-native ecosystem.