Telemetry
The OpenBox: Agent node uses its own lifecycle events plus built-in HTTP and database instrumentation to attach operational evidence to governed runs. This lets OpenBox show model calls, tool calls, HTTP calls, and data access alongside governance decisions.
Capture Surfaces
Node Lifecycle
The node captures:
- agent run start and completion
- user prompt signal
- model call start and completion
- tool call start and completion
HTTP
The node patches Node's https module for the duration of the run, so
outbound HTTP calls — including the call to the model provider itself and
any HTTP-based Tool sub-node — are captured as spans attached to the active
model or tool call. This is enabled by default and is not currently exposed
as a node option.
Databases
Outbound database queries made during the run are instrumented by default. n8n's own internal Postgres connection (used for n8n's own execution and credential storage) is filtered out, so only queries your workflow makes — for example through a Postgres node or tool — produce spans.
There is no sqlalchemy_engine-style option to configure; database
instrumentation applies automatically to database calls made while the
governed node is executing.
File I/O
File I/O instrumentation is disabled by default and is not currently exposed as a node option.
Where Telemetry Appears
Telemetry is attached to the surrounding model call, tool call, or workflow context.
That means:
- tool-related telemetry is usually attached to the tool call
- model provider HTTP telemetry is usually associated with the model call path
- internal telemetry does not create a new business event row by itself
Why Tool Health Can Be Empty
Tool health is only meaningful for agents that actually execute tools. If a node only performs model generation, you should not expect tool health metrics for that run.
Why Model Usage Can Be Empty
Model and token usage depend on metadata returned by the connected Chat Model sub-node's provider integration. If the provider does not expose usage metadata, the OpenBox run can still show model events without token totals.
Current Defaults
| Setting | Value | Configurable from the node UI? |
|---|---|---|
| Model and tool lifecycle events | Enabled | No |
| HTTP capture | Enabled | No |
| Database capture | Enabled (excludes n8n's own internal connection) | No |
| File I/O capture | Disabled | No |
See Configuration for the full list of fixed defaults.