Introduction to n8n

n8n is an open-source, extendable workflow automation tool that enables you to connect services, transform data, and orchestrate complex processes without writing extensive code. With its browser-based visual editor, you can assemble flows by dragging nodes onto the canvas and wiring them together — an approach that is particularly attractive for rapid prototyping and automation in IoT scenarios.

Pforzheim University operates a managed n8n instance at https://iot.hs-pforzheim.de/n8n/ for the use within the project. Use the credentials provided by your lecturer to log in and create flows for your project.

What Does n8n Do?

n8n allows you to design workflows that react to events, retrieve or transform data, and trigger follow-up actions. Every workflow is built from nodes that encapsulate a single task such as receiving an MQTT message, calling a REST API, applying a function, or sending notifications. By chaining nodes you can capture a full data pipeline — for example, reading sensor values, enriching them with metadata, and forwarding the processed payload to external services.

Key Features of n8n

• Extensive node library: n8n ships with hundreds of pre-built nodes that cover common protocols (HTTP, MQTT, AMQP), databases, cloud platforms, and productivity tools. Custom nodes can be added if a required integration is missing.
• JavaScript-based transformations: Function nodes let you run small pieces of JavaScript for bespoke data manipulation, validation, or branching logic.
• Execution tracking: Every workflow run can be inspected step-by-step through the execution log, making it easy to debug issues or audit historic runs.
• Self-hosted control: Because n8n is open source, you retain full control over your data, credentials, and execution environment. The university-hosted instance provides the benefits of self-hosting without requiring each project team to maintain its own server.

How n8n Fits into Our Setup

Within the BAE6600 stack, n8n can fulfil the same role as Node-RED for processing and routing data streams. Typical workflows subscribe to MQTT topics exposed by the IoT gateway, apply filtering or transformation logic, and persist the output in downstream systems such as InfluxDB or trigger alerts through email or chat integrations. You can also use n8n to synchronise data with third-party SaaS offerings, schedule maintenance tasks, or prototype new automation ideas alongside existing Node-RED flows.

When building flows on the university instance, organise your workspaces by group to keep configurations separate. Leverage credentials management to store API keys securely and document your workflows so other project members understand the processing steps. Once the flows are deployed, monitor their executions through the built-in UI to ensure data is processed as expected.