Introduction

Setting up a highly available n8n cluster requires load balancing, database redundancy, and secure connections. This guide covers deploying n8n on Hetzner cloud servers, configuring a Hetzner Load Balancer, setting up PostgreSQL failover, and securing traffic with Cloudflare SSL.

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1. Why Use a Cluster Setup for n8n?

A clustered n8n setup ensures:

• Scalability: Distributes workload across multiple nodes
• High Availability: Prevents downtime with failover mechanisms
• Security: Protects traffic with Cloudflare SSL and HTTPS enforcement

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2. Deploying n8n on Hetzner Cloud

To start, deploy multiple Hetzner cloud instances:

• 2 VMs for n8n with Docker Compose
• 2 VMs for PostgreSQL with automatic failover

Steps:

1. Create four Hetzner Cloud VMs with Ubuntu 22.04
2. Install Docker and Docker Compose on two VMs for n8n
3. Install PostgreSQL with failover on two database VMs

Deploying n8n using Docker Compose

docker run -d --name n8n -p 5678:5678 -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n n8nio/n8n

Setting up PostgreSQL with Failover

On the first PostgreSQL VM:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install postgresql

Configure replication and enable failover monitoring.

On the second PostgreSQL VM:

sudo apt install postgresql

Sync it with the primary server for automatic failover.

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3. Configuring Hetzner Load Balancer

To distribute traffic across n8n nodes:

1. Navigate to Hetzner Cloud Console → Load Balancers
2. Create a new Load Balancer
3. Add both n8n instances as backend targets
4. Configure health checks to monitor service availability:

http://your-n8n-server-ip:5678/healthz

5. Enable Sticky Sessions for consistent user experience.

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4. Securing Traffic with Cloudflare SSL

Prerequisites:

• A top-level domain (e.g., example.com)
• Hetzner DNS zone setup
• A Hetzner Load Balancer

Step 1 - Creating the Hetzner DNS Zone

1. Go to dns.hetzner.com
2. Add your domain name
3. Disable automatic scanning
4. Delete unnecessary default records

Step 2 - External DNS Configuration

To use Let’s Encrypt certificates with an external DNS provider:

1. Add NS records at your external DNS hoster:

_acme-challenge.example.com IN NS hydrogen.ns.hetzner.com.

2. Repeat this for all Hetzner DNS servers.

Step 3 - Setting up SSL in Hetzner Load Balancer

1. Open Hetzner Cloud Console
2. Navigate to Load Balancer → Services
3. Click Add service → TLS Termination
4. Select + Add certificates → Create Certificate
5. Choose your Hetzner DNS zone and enable wildcard SSL

Type	Name	Value
A	ssl.example.com	<load-balancer-ip>

Step 4 - Enforcing HTTPS

1. Set up Cloudflare Full (Strict) SSL
2. Configure WAF rules to block unauthorized access

Example Cloudflare WAF rule:

{
	"action": "block",
	"conditions": [
		{
			"field": "http.request.uri.path",
			"operator": "contains",
			"value": "/admin"
		}
	]
}

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5. Running n8n in Production with Load Balancing

Once configured, verify load balancing and SSL:

curl -I https://your-n8n-domain.com

This should return a valid HTTPS response from Cloudflare.

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Final Thoughts

Setting up an n8n cluster with Hetzner Load Balancer, PostgreSQL failover, and Cloudflare SSL ensures a robust, scalable automation infrastructure. With this setup:

• Traffic is evenly distributed across multiple n8n nodes
• Cloudflare SSL protects all connections with HTTPS
• PostgreSQL failover ensures high availability

If you’re scaling n8n automation, this guide provides a secure and scalable framework. Have questions? Drop them in the comments!