Periodic CPU spikes caused by default `healthcheck.js` in Node-RED Docker image

Periodic CPU spikes caused by default healthcheck in Node-RED Docker image

I recently tried to deliver a Node-RED Docker container to a colleague who is not very familiar with Node-RED and is quite cautious about trusting it in production.

During testing, he noticed a periodic CPU spike every 30 seconds, where CPU usage briefly jumps from ~0.5% to ~6% within less than a second.

After investigation, I found the cause is the default healthcheck.js. The Docker healthcheck executes every 30 seconds and runs node /healthcheck.js, which starts a full Node.js process and performs an HTTP request to check service availability.

While this design is functionally correct, it introduces unnecessary CPU overhead in lightweight or single-node deployments.

I would like to suggest considering a more lightweight healthcheck approach, such as a TCP port check or a lightweight HTTP probe, instead of starting a full Node.js process (node /healthcheck.js) on every check.

Start by locating the default healthcheck.js and the Docker image configuration that runs it every 30 seconds. Compare the current node /healthcheck.js check with the lightweight alternatives described in the issue, and verify that the chosen healthcheck still confirms service availability while avoiding the reported periodic CPU spike.