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Spike 7: Kaltura AV Integration on Drupal 11

Status: Pending
Date: —
Branch/commit: —

Theory

The D7 Kaltura module's two responsibilities — uploading AV content to Kaltura and embedding the Kaltura player in node display — can both be satisfied on D11 using a combination of Drupal core Media, a D11-compatible Kaltura contrib module or custom Media Source plugin, and the Kaltura API v3, without loss of workflow or playback capability.

Background

The D7 AV site uses the kaltura contributed module (7.x branch) to:

  1. Upload/ingest — content editors upload video/audio files through Drupal, which posts them to Kaltura via the Kaltura API. Kaltura stores and transcodes the media, returning a Kaltura entry ID that is stored on the Drupal node.
  2. Playback — node display embeds the Kaltura player (iFrame or JavaScript embed) using the stored entry ID.

Drupal 11 ships with the core Media module, which replaced D7's file-handling patterns. D11 Media uses pluggable Media Source plugins; oEmbed and custom sources are both supported. If a maintained D11-compatible Kaltura module exists, it should be evaluated first. If not, the fallback is a custom Media Source plugin wrapping the Kaltura API v3.

Key risks: - Kaltura's official Drupal module may not have a D11 release. - The upload workflow (posting files to Kaltura from Drupal) is more complex than simple oEmbed playback and may require a custom solution regardless. - Existing D7 nodes store Kaltura entry IDs that must survive migration.

Work

  1. Module landscape survey
  2. Check drupal.org for a D11-compatible Kaltura module (kaltura, media_kaltura, or similar); note release status and active maintenance.
  3. Check the Kaltura Community for any official Drupal 11 integration guidance.

  4. Identify whether any D10/D11 contrib module handles the upload workflow (not just playback).

  5. Kaltura API v3 capabilities

  6. Confirm Kaltura API v3 is the current version and review the upload (ingestion) and player embed endpoints.

  7. Document the authentication model (KS session tokens vs. application tokens) used by the D7 module and whether it is still supported.

  8. Playback path (embedding)

  9. Attempt to embed a Kaltura player on a D11 node using Drupal core Media + oEmbed, if Kaltura publishes an oEmbed endpoint.
  10. If no oEmbed endpoint: prototype a minimal custom MediaSource plugin that takes a Kaltura entry ID as input and renders the Kaltura iFrame embed in a field formatter.

  11. Confirm the embed renders correctly and any required Kaltura JS is loaded without CSP conflicts.

  12. Upload/ingest path

  13. Prototype the content-editor upload workflow: file picked in Drupal → posted to Kaltura API → entry ID stored on the Media entity.
  14. Determine whether this can be handled by a contrib module's widget or requires a custom FieldWidget / Media form extension.

  15. Identify how the D7 module triggered upload (on node save, via a dedicated upload form, etc.) and replicate the same authoring UX if feasible.

  16. Migration path for existing content

  17. Query the D7 database: identify which field stores the Kaltura entry ID on AV nodes and how many nodes are affected.
  18. Confirm that a D11 Media entity can store an existing entry ID without re-uploading (migration should reference, not re-ingest).

  19. Document the Drupal Migrate plugin strategy for converting D7 AV nodes → D11 nodes referencing a Kaltura Media entity.

  20. Permissions and multi-site context

  21. In D7 the Kaltura partner credentials are per-site. In the consolidated D11 single instance, confirm whether one set of Kaltura credentials covers the full AV collection, or whether separate Kaltura partners/categories are needed per legacy site.

Pass Criteria

  • A clear D11 Kaltura integration path exists (contrib module or custom plugin) for both upload and playback.
  • A working D11 prototype can embed a Kaltura player for a known entry ID.
  • The upload workflow from D11 to Kaltura is demonstrated or a concrete implementation approach is documented.
  • A migration strategy for existing D7 Kaltura entry IDs is defined (no re-upload required).
  • The Kaltura partner/credential model is confirmed for the single-instance D11 context.

Fail Criteria and Response

Finding Response
No maintained D11 Kaltura module exists Build a minimal custom Media Source plugin (entry ID → iFrame embed) and a custom upload widget using Kaltura API v3
Kaltura oEmbed endpoint is unavailable or unreliable Use iFrame/JS embed directly; custom MediaSource plugin is required
Upload workflow cannot be replicated in D11 without significant custom work Scope a dedicated upload module sprint; consider using Kaltura's own upload portal as an interim workflow
Migration requires re-uploading all media to Kaltura Escalate to David Germano — re-ingestion may be out of scope and must be a stakeholder decision
Kaltura API v3 authentication model has changed Obtain current application token credentials from AV site admin; update auth layer
D7 stores entry IDs inconsistently across AV nodes Audit the full AV node corpus before writing the migration plugin; document edge cases

Outputs

  • Inventory of D11-compatible Kaltura modules and their maintenance status.
  • Documented Kaltura API v3 authentication and embed approach.
  • Working D11 prototype: Kaltura player embedded via entry ID (even if minimal).
  • Upload workflow prototype or detailed implementation plan if full prototype is out of scope for the spike.
  • Migration strategy for existing Kaltura entry IDs.
  • Credential/partner model recommendation for single-instance D11.
  • Go/no-go recommendation for AV site Phase 4 work.

Deferred notes

(To be filled in after the spike runs.)