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 full

Single-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 console

Archive 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

atlas --datadir ./node --syncmode "full" --gcmode "archive"

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

# Basic RPC node
atlas --datadir ./node --syncmode "full" --http --http.addr "127.0.0.1" --http.port 7445

# With more API modules
atlas --datadir ./node --syncmode "full" \
  --http --http.addr "0.0.0.0" --http.port 8545 \
  --http.api eth,net,web3,txpool

RPC Configuration Options

Option	Description
--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

Feature	Full Node	Archive Node	RPC Node
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