Automate Incident Alerts and Logging with n8n

n8n monitors server health via Prometheus, logs incidents in a database, and sends instant alerts to Slack when issues like high CPU usage are detected.

• n8n installed.

• Prometheus instance with server metrics.

• PostgreSQL database for logging.

• Slack workspace with incoming webhook.

1. Prepare n8n Environment

• Navigate to http://localhost:5678 and log in.
• Click “Workflows,” then “+ New” and name it (e.g., “Incident Logger”).
• Click “+” to add nodes.

2. Trigger Node: Schedule

Node: Schedule

Settings:

• Interval: Every 5 minutes

Output: Triggers workflow.

3. Monitor Node: HTTP Request

Node: HTTP Request

Settings:

• URL: http://<prometheus-host>:9090/api/v1/query?query=avg(rate(node_cpu_seconds_total[5m]))
• Method: GET
• Response Format: JSON

Output: CPU usage data (e.g., {{ $json.data.result[0].value[1] }}).

4. Log Node: PostgreSQL

Node: PostgreSQL

Settings:

• Credentials: Database credentials
• Query: INSERT INTO incidents (timestamp, cpu_usage) VALUES (NOW(), {{ $node["HTTP Request"].json.data.result[0].value[1] }})

Output: Incident logged.

5. Alert Node: Slack

Node: Slack

Settings:

• Credentials: Slack webhook URL
• Channel: #incident-alerts
• Text: High CPU usage detected: {{ $node["HTTP Request"].json.data.result[0].value[1] }}%
• Condition: Execute if {{ $node["HTTP Request"].json.data.result[0].value[1] > 80 }}

Output: Team notified.

• Flow: Schedule → HTTP Request (Prometheus) → PostgreSQL (log) → Slack (alert if high CPU).

• Execution: ~10 seconds per run.

• Minimizes response time to critical failures (~5 minutes).

• Enhances reliability with logged incident history.

• Saves ~15 hours weekly on manual monitoring.

• Prometheus Fail: Check query syntax and endpoint.

• Slack Issues: Verify webhook permissions.

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