Certificate Automation with open source tools such as n8n and Vault

Certificate expiration continues to cause unnecessary outages even at major tech companies. In this hands-on session, I'll demonstrate how to build a robust, open-source certificate automation system using n8n and HashiCorp Vault(open source). You'll learn how to with open source tools one can monitor certificate expiry, trigger automated renewals, and deploy new certificates as an autmated workflow.

This solution is fully open source, requires no specialized knowledge of cryptography.

TLS certificate expiration remains a common cause of production outages across organizations of all sizes. The traditional approach of calendar reminders and manual renewal processes is brittle, time-consuming, and error-prone.

In this practical session, I'll show you how to build a complete certificate lifecycle automation system using two powerful open source tools: n8n for workflow automation and Vault for certificate issuance and storage.

The solution will cover:

A quick simulated demo, I'll show how Vault and n8n can automate certificate renewals, from monitoring and notifications to handling special cases. We'll use Vault’s PKI secrets engine, n8n workflows, and configurable thresholds—everything you need to eliminate manual cert management errors.

You'll see real code, not just theory, and walk away with a blueprint you can implement immediately in your own environment - regardless of whether you're managing a handful of certificates or hundreds across multiple environments.

Keytakeaways:

Key Takeaways: Certificate Automation with Open Source Tools

Open Source Power and Flexibility

Fully Open Stack Solution: This demo showcases how powerful certificate automation can be built entirely with open source tools (HashiCorp Vault and n8n)

Community-Driven Innovation: Both Vault and n8n benefit from large, active communities that continuously improve these platforms, providing security updates and new features without subscription fees.

Transparent Security: Open source allows you to inspect and understand the security mechanisms protecting your certificates, rather than trusting black-box commercial solutions.

Proactive Certificate Management : The function implements an early warning system that identifies certificates needing renewal well before they expire.

What the demo will showcase?

In this short simulated demo, you'll see how n8n detects a certificate nearing expiration, automatically triggers its renewal via Vault, and clearly shows the renewed certificate directly within Vault—all through an automated open-source workflow. Quickly discover how to eliminate manual certificate management hassles with open-source tools.

• Key Takeaways: Certificate Automation with Open Source Tools
• Open Source Power and Flexibility
• Fully Open Stack Solution: This demo showcases how powerful certificate automation can be built entirely with open source tools (HashiCorp Vault and n8n)
• Community-Driven Innovation: Both Vault and n8n benefit from large, active communities that continuously improve these platforms, providing security updates and new features without subscription fees.
• Transparent Security: Open source allows you to inspect and understand the security mechanisms protecting your certificates, rather than trusting black-box commercial solutions.
• Proactive Certificate Management : The function implements an early warning system that identifies certificates needing renewal well before they expire.