n8n Module

This module deploys n8n, a workflow automation tool for technical people, as Docker containers in the homelab environment.

Overview

The n8n module:

Deploys two Docker containers:
- n8n: The main workflow automation server
- n8n-postgres: A PostgreSQL database backend
Creates a dedicated Docker network (n8n-network) for container communication
Persists data to volumes on the host
Provides service definition for integration with networking modules

Usage

module "n8n" {
  source      = "./modules/20-services-apps/n8n"
  volume_path = "/path/to/volumes/n8n"
  networks    = ["homelab-network"]
}

Variables

Variable	Description	Type	Default
`image_tag`	Tag of the n8n image to use	`string`	`"latest"`
`volume_path`	Host path for n8n and Postgres data volumes	`string`	-
`networks`	List of additional networks to which n8n should be attached	`list(string)`	`[]`

Outputs

Output	Description
`service_definition`	Service definition for integration with networking modules

Service Definition

This module outputs a service definition that is used by the networking modules to expose the service.

{
  name         = "n8n"
  primary_port = 5678
  endpoint     = "http://n8n:5678"
  subdomains   = ["n8n"]
  publish_via  = "tunnel"  # Only publish through Cloudflare tunnel
}

Environment Variables

n8n requires several environment variables to function properly. These are stored in a .env file in the module directory and read using the dotenv Terraform provider:

Database configuration:
- POSTGRES_USER: Root PostgreSQL user
- POSTGRES_PASSWORD: Root PostgreSQL password
- POSTGRES_DB: Database name for n8n
- POSTGRES_NON_ROOT_USER: Non-root user for n8n to connect with
- POSTGRES_NON_ROOT_PASSWORD: Password for the non-root user
n8n configuration:
- N8N_HOST: Host for n8n to use
- N8N_PORT: Port for n8n to use
- N8N_PROTOCOL: Protocol for n8n (http or https)
- WEBHOOK_URL: URL for webhooks
- NODE_FUNCTION_ALLOW_EXTERNAL: Whether to allow external function calls

Data Persistence

n8n stores its data in two main volumes:

n8n application data: /home/node/.n8n in the container, mapped to ${volume_path}/n8n_storage/_data on the host
PostgreSQL data: /var/lib/postgresql/data in the container, mapped to ${volume_path}/db_storage/_data on the host

Additionally, an initialization script is mounted to the PostgreSQL container:

/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/init-data.sh in the container, from ${volume_path}/init-data.sh on the host

Networking

The module creates a dedicated Docker network named n8n-network for communication between the n8n and PostgreSQL containers. The n8n container is also attached to any additional networks specified in the networks variable, allowing it to communicate with other services in the homelab.

Integration with Networking Modules

This service is configured to be exposed through a Cloudflare tunnel for secure remote access, set by publish_via = "tunnel".

Example Integration in Main Configuration

module "n8n" {
  source      = "./modules/20-services-apps/n8n"
  volume_path = module.system_globals.volume_host
  networks    = [module.services.homelab_docker_network_name]
}

# The service definition is automatically included in the services output
module "services" {
  source = "./modules/services"
  # ...
  service_definitions = [
    module.n8n.service_definition,
    # Other service definitions
  ]
}

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