RespondNow
RespondNow is a free, open-source incident management framework for handling incidents from creation through follow-up.
What RespondNow is
RespondNow is a free, open-source incident management framework for handling incidents from creation through follow-up. Its Slack app lets teams create, list, and update incidents, open triage channels, and attach materials such as bug reports, tickets, or root-cause documents. Incidents can start with /start in an integrated Slack channel or from the app home page. RespondNow then creates a channel named with the rn-{timestamp}-{incident-name} pattern and adds the incident creator. A dashboard provides a visual view for monitoring and managing active incidents. Deployment uses Kubernetes and Helm. Documented prerequisites are Kubernetes 1.22 or later, Helm 3, and a persistent volume of at least 5 GB. Slack setup requires permission to install locally developed apps and integrate them into workspace channels, plus Slack app-level and bot OAuth tokens. Documentation covers Slack integration, while the Helm repository README also mentions MongoDB. The repository uses Apache License 2.0 and describes developers and SREs building reusable runbooks as its audience.
Good
- Open-source under Apache License 2.0
- Slack app creates and updates incidents
- Automatic triage channels include incident creators
- Dashboard monitors ongoing incidents
- Supports reusable runbook contributions
Watch out
- Requires Kubernetes 1.22 or later
- Needs Helm 3 and a 5 GB persistent volume
- Slack app installation permissions are required
- OAuth tokens must be supplied during setup
Who it suits
It suits developers and SREs who want an open-source incident workflow centered on Slack. Kubernetes operators comfortable with Helm can deploy it for team incident management.
Verdict
RespondNow connects Slack incident actions with a dashboard and Kubernetes deployment model. It is most appropriate for teams prepared to manage the documented infrastructure and Slack permissions.
Plans and prices
From RespondNow's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free and open source |
The facts
Each one read from RespondNow's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audience
- The project describes its intended community as developers and SREs contributing reusable runbooks.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Dashboard
- An incident dashboard provides a visual interface for monitoring and managing ongoing incidents.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Deployment
- RespondNow is deployed on Kubernetes and its setup guide uses Helm.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Incident creation
- Users can start an incident with /start in a designated Slack channel or a channel where the bot is integrated, or from the Slack app home page.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Integrations
- The project documentation describes integration with Slack; the Helm repository README also says it integrates with MongoDB.checked 4 Oct 2001
- License
- The repository states that RespondNow is licensed under Apache License 2.0.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Prerequisites
- The documented deployment prerequisites are Kubernetes 1.22+, Helm 3, and a persistent volume sized at least 5 GB.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Purpose
- RespondNow is an open-source incident management framework for handling incidents from start to finish.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Security
- The setup guide instructs administrators to generate and provide Slack app-level and bot OAuth tokens during setup.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Slack setup
- The documentation requires permission to install locally developed Slack apps and integrate apps into workspace channels.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Slack workflow
- The dedicated Slack app lets teams create, list, and update incidents, set up triage channels, and attach artifacts such as bug reports, tickets, or RCA documents.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Triage channels
- When an incident is created, RespondNow creates a Slack channel named with the rn-{timestamp}-{incident-name} convention and adds the incident creator.checked 4 Oct 2001
The company
- Maker
- The product site credits Harness Inc. in its copyright notice.checked 4 Oct 2001
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