Gatekeeper is Eventbrite’s onsite entry management technology that delivers the high-speed secure scanning solution for organizers to use on the day of their events.

Ideal for events with more than 5,000 attendees, Gatekeeper consists of Linux-based gate servers and multiple scan devices at each gate. We use iPhone and Android phones with barcode scanner add-ons as the scan terminal, which not only improves the check-in speed but also makes the system easier to set up and use.

Technically, to connect the scan terminal to the Gatekeeper server, staff members must enter the server’s IP address in the scanner—potentially adding complexity for event organizers. We opted to eliminate this step so staff members could simply turn on the scanner and launch the app, which then automatically finds the nearby Gatekeeper servers.

How, you ask? By leveraging Bonjour, Apple’s implementation of zero configuration networking, which establishes a connection for the scanner to the server by locating nearby services on a local network using mDNS.

Continue reading “Bonjour Gatekeeper: How to implement Bonjour service in an iOS or Android app”