Automated Disk Usage Alert Response

A few months ago, disk usage alerts started pouring into the inbox—one after another, from every server on the list. Each alert meant another urgent fix, another round of digging through logs, and another late night trying to free up space before things went down.

Manually handling each of these was draining time and energy fast. So instead of scrambling every time an alert hit, it made sense to automate the response.

Using n8n combined with SSH commands, a workflow was built to step in as soon as those alerts arrive. It’s not perfect—there are still a few quirks here and there—but it’s taken a stressful, repetitive task and turned it into a smooth, mostly hands-off process.

• Fast Reactions: As soon as a disk alert email comes in, the workflow kicks into gear—no need to monitor things constantly or react hours later.
• Downtime Avoided: In one case, it cleared up space just in time to stop an Nginx log overload from bringing down a critical server.
• No More Manual Log Hunting: Instead of wasting time combing through server logs, the cleanup steps are handled automatically, and they work.
• Relief for the Team: With this in place, everyone’s a little less stressed. The pressure’s off, and focus can shift to other priorities.
• Real Time Saved: What used to take 30 minutes—or more every day now takes almost none. That time adds up quickly.

The workflow begins by listening for disk usage alert emails in real-time. Once an alert is received, the sequence is automatically triggered without the need for manual checking.

The alert email content is parsed to extract the server's IP address. This directs the workflow to the correct machine requiring cleanup.

SSH variables such as credentials, authentication methods, and target paths are configured dynamically based on the server in question. This step ensures compatibility across environments with varying configurations.

Log cleanup commands are executed over SSH. These commands typically target high-volume directories such as:

• Nginx logs
• PM2 logs
• Docker containers and volumes
• System logs and temporary files

While generally reliable, this step may require monitoring if alert email formats deviate from the standard structure.

Ready to transform your business with our Workflow Automation Solutions with n8n? Contact Us  today to Leverage Our AI/ML Expertise.