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Node Operators

This section covers the official Koinos node composed of microservices and distributed by koinos/koinos. Choose what the node must do before enabling optional services. The standard starting point is a node without block production, with private local JSON-RPC for health checks.

The initial installation procedure follows the current official koinos/koinos default branch, which is master. It downloads the latest Docker Compose orchestrator and the image tags selected there. See Configuration before installing or upgrading.

Choose what the node will do

Purpose Services Public exposure Main risk Start here
Standard node Required services; optional private JSON-RPC P2P 8888/tcp Disk growth and synchronization Quick Start or advanced setup
Public Seed Node Standard node with stable P2P identity and published multiaddr Stable inbound P2P, normally 8888/tcp Availability, identity continuity, and public peer load Run a Seed Node
Public API node Standard node plus selected API services HTTPS through a reverse proxy Abuse, capacity, and incorrect port exposure Run a public API node
Block producer Standard node plus block_producer P2P; APIs need not be public Hot key and irreversible PoB actions Block production

Do not use all as a generic quick start

The upstream all profile includes block_producer. Enable only the profiles required for the selected role.

  • Standard node quick start

    Start a basic node in three steps with the current official orchestrator and its default configuration. Continue separately with the production setup and health checks when needed.

    Quick Start · Advanced setup

  • Requirements

    Plan CPU, RAM, SSD capacity, bandwidth, time synchronization, and disk headroom for the selected services.

    Plan capacity

  • Networks

    Keep mainnet, the current public testnet, and legacy Harbinger data, identities, keys, and chain IDs separate.

    Choose a network

  • Public Seed Node

    Provide a stable public P2P entry point with a protected identity, public multiaddr, external reachability checks, and continuous monitoring.

    Run a Seed Node

  • Public API node

    Enable JSON-RPC, REST, and gRPC intentionally, with loopback bindings, clear reverse-proxy requirements, TLS, and external verification.

    Publish APIs

  • Security

    Apply least-service deployment, binding and firewall controls, proxy protections, host hardening, and key separation.

    Secure the node

  • Operations

    Monitor, update, roll back, back up, restore, reindex, resync, and collect useful incident evidence.

    Operate the node