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Documentation Index

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n8n is the automation backbone of NextAudit AI. It sits between the data sources — primarily FleetDM — and the AI analysis layer provided by Flowise, scheduling audit checks, routing alerts, and moving data across services without requiring custom integration code. Workflows are defined visually and stored in the persistent n8n_data volume, making them version-controllable and reproducible across environments.

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Service configuration

n8n runs from the official docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n image. The internal n8n port is always 5678; the host-facing port is controlled by the N8N_PORT environment variable. 
n8n:
  image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n
  container_name: n8n
  ports:
    - "${N8N_PORT}:5678"
  volumes:
    - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
  restart: unless-stopped
n8n has the same configuration across all three environments (dev, test, prod). Environment-specific behavior is controlled exclusively through the .env file values passed at startup.

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Environment variables

environment:
  GENERIC_TIMEZONE: ${N8N_TIMEZONE}
  TZ: ${N8N_TIMEZONE}
  N8N_ENFORCE_SETTINGS_FILE_PERMISSIONS: "true"
  N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED: "true"

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Timezone

GENERIC_TIMEZONE and TZ are both set to the same N8N_TIMEZONE value. n8n uses GENERIC_TIMEZONE for scheduling cron-based workflows; the OS-level TZ variable ensures that log timestamps and system calls inside the container reflect the same zone.

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Credential file security

N8N_ENFORCE_SETTINGS_FILE_PERMISSIONS=true causes n8n to refuse to start if the settings file at /home/node/.n8n/config is readable by users other than the n8n process owner. This prevents credential leakage when the n8n_data volume is shared or inspected.
If you mount the n8n_data volume on a host path, verify that the directory permissions restrict access to root and the container user only. Misconfigured permissions will cause n8n to exit at startup when this setting is enabled.

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Workflow runners

N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=true activates n8n’s task runner architecture, which executes workflow nodes in isolated sub-processes rather than the main n8n event loop. This improves stability for CPU-intensive nodes and prevents a single long-running execution from blocking the entire workflow engine.

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Volume

volumes:
  - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
The n8n_data volume persists all workflow definitions, credentials, execution history, and settings. Backing up this volume is sufficient to fully restore the n8n state.

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Connecting to FleetDM and Flowise

n8n does not have a direct compose dependency on FleetDM or Flowise, but it integrates with both over HTTP using the HTTP Request node or dedicated community nodes:

FleetDM integration

Poll the FleetDM REST API for host inventory, policy failures, and vulnerability findings. Use scheduled triggers to run checks at defined intervals and feed results into audit records.

Flowise integration

Send structured audit data to Flowise AI flows via HTTP. Flowise returns natural language summaries or triage decisions that n8n routes to the appropriate downstream system.

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Audit pipeline use cases

Use a Cron node to trigger policy compliance checks on a schedule. The workflow queries the FleetDM API, evaluates the results against defined thresholds, and writes a structured audit record.
When FleetDM reports a policy violation or critical vulnerability, an n8n workflow can classify the severity, look up the responsible team, and deliver a notification via the appropriate channel (email, Slack, webhook).
n8n can move audit findings from FleetDM into PostgreSQL for long-term storage, trigger Flowise analysis on new data, and synchronize results back to external ticketing or SIEM systems — all in a single workflow.
Pass raw osquery results or vulnerability lists to a Flowise flow for AI-assisted summarization or risk scoring. n8n handles the orchestration: it calls Flowise, waits for the response, and routes the enriched finding appropriately.

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Accessing the n8n UI

The n8n web interface is available at: 
http://<host>:${N8N_PORT}
On first startup, n8n prompts you to create an owner account. All workflows, credentials, and settings are managed from this UI. To import existing workflows, use the Import from file option in the workflow editor or place workflow JSON files in the n8n_data volume before starting the container.

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