System Pressure Monitor

Know when Node-RED is maxed out

Real-time pressure monitoring with a single composite score. See when you're approaching capacity before problems start.

Stop Guessing About Performance

"My flows are running slow but I don't know why. Is it memory? CPU? The event loop? I'm just guessing."

Production Node-RED instances can process thousands of jobs. But when things slow down, operators are left guessing. Memory usage? Event loop delays? Message throughput? Multiple metrics, no clear answer.

We needed one number that tells you: "Your system is at 73% capacity." Not five charts. Not technical metrics. Just pressure - like a fuel gauge.

One Score, Clear Meaning

Composite Pressure Score (0-100%):

  • Event Loop Utilization: 40% weight - how busy is Node.js?
  • Event Loop Delay: 25% weight - are operations lagging?
  • Memory Usage: 20% weight - heap pressure vs limit
  • Message Throughput: 15% weight - processing load

Visual Indicators:

  • Header Icon: Tachometer with color-coded pressure level
  • Sidebar Panel: Circular gauge, metric bars, 5-minute history chart
  • Context-Aware: Shows "Well Within Limits" instead of scary percentages
  • Trend Detection: Identifies healthy sawtooth vs memory leaks

Actionable Recommendations:

  • Pattern Detection: Identifies specific bottleneck types
  • Context-Specific: Recommendations based on detected issues
  • Clear Actions: "Review async operations" not "Event loop delay high"

Production-Ready Monitoring

What Administrators See:

  • Green (0-50%): System healthy, plenty of headroom
  • Yellow (51-75%): Moderate pressure, monitor closely
  • Orange (76-90%): High pressure, review workflows
  • Red (91-100%): Critical, immediate action needed

Technical Details:

  • Low Overhead: Less than 2% CPU impact
  • 1-Second Sampling: Responsive without excessive overhead
  • Native APIs: Uses Node.js perf_hooks and process APIs
  • Configurable Presets: Conservative, Balanced, Aggressive

Get Started

# Quick install
cd ~/.node-red
npm install @fierylab.io/fiery-contrib-plugin-system-pressure
node-red-restart

First Use:

  • Look for tachometer icon in header (left of Deploy)
  • Icon color shows current pressure level
  • Click icon to open detailed sidebar panel
  • Review 5-minute historical chart for trends

Configuration:

  • Preset Modes: Conservative (safe), Balanced (default), Aggressive (high-load)
  • Custom Thresholds: Adjust warning/critical levels
  • Sampling Interval: 1-second default, adjustable
  • Enable/Disable: Toggle monitoring via Settings

Ready to monitor system health?