Node Types
This guide covers running different types of MAP Relay Chain (Atlas) nodes.
Full Node
A full node validates and relays transactions, participating in the P2P network with moderate resource requirements.
Running a Full Node
# Basic full node
atlas --datadir ./node console
# With network ID specified
atlas --datadir ./node --networkid 22776 --syncmode fullSingle-Node Network (Development)
For testing and development:
# Single node mode
atlas --datadir ./node --single console
# With HTTP RPC enabled
atlas --datadir ./node --single --http --http.addr "127.0.0.1" --http.port 7445 consoleArchive Node
An archive node stores complete blockchain history, including all historical states. It's useful for:
Block explorers
Historical data queries
Research and analytics
Auditing and compliance
What is an Archive Node?
A full node only keeps recent states (last ~128 blocks) and prunes older data. An archive node stores every historical state after each block, trading disk space for quick access to historical data.
Hardware Requirements
Archive nodes require significantly more storage:
Storage: 2-4 TB SSD (and growing)
RAM: 16+ GB recommended
CPU: Faster CPU helps with initial sync
Running an Archive Node
RPC Node
An RPC node serves JSON-RPC API requests for decentralized applications (DApps).
How RPC Nodes Work
RPC nodes use the JSON-RPC protocol to:
Receive requests from client applications
Query blockchain data
Execute and broadcast transactions
Return results in JSON format
Running an RPC Node
RPC Configuration Options
--http
Enable HTTP-RPC server
--http.addr
HTTP-RPC listen address
--http.port
HTTP-RPC port (default: 8545)
--http.api
APIs offered over HTTP-RPC
--http.corsdomain
Allowed CORS domains
Comparison
State Storage
Pruned
Complete
Pruned/Complete
Disk Usage
~500 GB
2-4 TB
~500 GB
Historical Queries
Limited
Full
Depends on mode
API Access
Console
Console
HTTP/WS
Use Case
P2P participation
Data services
DApp backends
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