How to construct a Symbol node

table of contents

• Node features and server basic specs
• Symbol Node construction procedure *Tips

About the Symbol node

Node features and basic server specs

• API Nodes
• Voting Nodes

Peer Nodes

API Nodes

• A single node can run both Peer Node and API Node at the same time. In that case, it is expressed as Dual Node.

Voting Nodes

Symbol Node construction procedure

• Server with required hardware specs or higher (separate table)
• Debian OS 10 or higher
• PORT 80, 443, 3000, 3001, 7900

(Appendix) Mandatory hardware specs

Notes for those who do not usually build servers

• firewall settings
• For SSH communication, prohibit root login and authenticate with public key
• As a general rule, PORT should be closed except 22, 80, 3000, 3001, 7900

Port Usage

Server Initial Setup

adduser symbol
usermod -aG sudo symbol
su - symbol

Installing Required Software

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ymuichiro/symbol-node-builder/main/scripts/install.sh)"

• install nvm, node.js 16, npm
• Install docker, docker-compose
• install symbol-bootstrap via npm
• Create ~/symbol-bootstrap/** folder

Starting and setting up Symbol-Bootstrap

cd ~/symbol-bootstrap
symbol-bootstrap wizard

1. Network selection Select which network to build the node on.

Select a network: (Use arrow keys)
❯ Mainnet Nodes
     Testnet nodes
     Bootstrap Local Network
     Custom Network Node ('custom-network-preset.yml' file and 'nemesis-seed' folder are required)

Select an assembly: (Use arrow keys)
❯ Dual Node
   Peer Node
   Api Nodes
   Demo Node. A dual node that includes a Faucet and Explorer.

? Symbol Bootstrap is about to start working with sensitive information (private keys) so it is highly recommended that
you disconnect from the network before continuing. Say YES if you are offline or if you don't care. (Y/n)

Enter the password used to encrypt and decrypt custom presets, addresses.yml, and preset.yml files.
password, private keys will be encrypted.

? How do you want to create the Main account: (Use arrow keys)
❯ Generating a new account
    Entering a private key
    Enter the 64 HEX private key of the Main account (or press enter to select the option again).

? Is this the expected address TCDNP********************55KCQ to used as Main account? (y/N)

? How do you want to create the Transport account: (Use arrow keys)
❯ Generating a new account
   Entering a private key

? How do you want to create the VRF account: (Use arrow keys)
❯ Generating a new account
    Entering a private key

? How do you want to create the Remote account: (Use arrow keys)
❯ Generating a new account
   Entering a private key

Your REST Gateway should be running on HTTPS (which is a secure protocol) so that it can be recognized by the Symbol Explorer.
? Select your HTTPS setup method: (Use arrow keys)
❯ Native support, I have the SSL certificate and key.
    Automatic, all of your keys and certs will be generated/renewed automatically, using letsencyrpt.
    None

? Enter the public domain name(eg. node-01.mysymbolnodes.com) that's pointing to your outbound host IP This value is
required when you are running on HTTPS!

Enter the friendly name of your node.

? Select the type of security you want to use: (Use arrow keys)
    PROMPT_MAIN: Bootstrap may ask for the Main private key when doing certificates upgrades. Other keys are encrypted.
❯ PROMPT_MAIN_TRANSPORT: Bootstrap may ask for the Main and Transport private keys when regenerating certificates.
keys are encrypted.
    ENCRYPT: All keys are encrypted, only password would be asked

Are you creating a Voting node? (y/N)

assembly: dual
preset: mainnet
privateKeySecurityMode: PROMPT_MAIN_TRANSPORT
nodes:
     -
         host: example.org
         maxUnlockedAccounts: 30
         benefitAddress: ${your-symbol-address}
         voting: false
         friendlyName: ${your-name}
         mainPrivateKey: ${your-node-main-privatekey}
         vrfPrivateKey: ${your-node-vrf-privatekey}
         remotePrivateKey: ${your-node-remote-privatekey}
         transportPrivateKey: ${your-node-transport-privatekey}
httpsProxies:
     -
         excludeDockerService: false

Start Symbol-Node

cd ~/symbol-bootstrap
symbol-bootstrap config -p mainnet -a dual -c custom-preset.yml
symbol-bootstrap start -d
symbol-bootstrap healthCheck

• If -d is specified, it will be possible to start it in the backend. Add -d in principle except when symbol-bootstrap gives an error and you have to debug.

Update node certificate

1. Check node SSL certificate expiration with healthCheck

symbol-bootstrap healthCheck

> he node.crt.pem certificate for node node will expire on Aug 2 14:30:34 2023 GMT. No need to renew it yet.

2. Renew your certificate

symbol-bootstrap renewCertificates

Show node information in Symbol Node list

1. Registration with payment (recommended)

2. Register by setting nodeSetting.json on the node

• Place the config file in the following path of the node

  • http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:80/nodeSetting.json
• symbol-bootstrap is up and running, also listening on port 80, 443. Therefore, it is necessary to perform the following or equivalent operation.

  • Edit ~/symbol-bootstrap/target/docker/docker-compose.yml and rewrite the volume information so that nodeSetting.json is mounted on his path in nginx
  • Rebuild the container with symbol-bootstrap compose etc. and start the node

• This procedure will overwrite the docker-compose.yml file when updating symbol-bootstrap or updating preset, so it is necessary to re-register each time.
• 2 cannot be used by Allnodes users

MongoDB index review

When custom-preset.yml is updated

symbol-bootstrap stop
symbol-bootstrap config -p mainnet -a dual -c custom-preset.yml --upgrade
symbol-bootstrap compose --upgrade
symbol-bootstrap run -d

How to check the cause of a node error

1. Check the log output of symbol-bootstrap

symbol-bootstrap run

2. Use docker's log function

symbol-bootstrap stop
symbol-bootstrap run -d
docker ps -a

symbol@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:~$ docker ps -a
CONTAINER ID IMAGE COMMAND CREATED STATUS PORTS NAMES
8d44313c93d6 steveltn/https-portal:1.19 "/init" 40 hours ago Up 40 hours 0.0.0.0:80->80/tcp, :::80->80/tcp, 0.0.0.0:3001->443/tcp, :::3001->443/tcp https-proxy
71fa6d455cf6 symbolplatform/symbol-server:gcc-1.0.3.5 "/bin/bash /symbol-c…" 40 hours ago Up 40 hours 0.0.0.0:7900->7900/tcp, :::7900->7900/tcp node
542ca6019607 symbolplatform/symbol-server:gcc-1.0.3.5 "/bin/bash /symbol-c…" 2 days ago Up 40 hours broker
5b6765426fd2 symbolplatform/symbol-rest:2.4.2 "docker-entrypoint.s…" 2 days ago Up 40 hours 0.0.0.0:3000->3000/tcp, :::3000->3000/tcp rest-gateway
19c9ac8edce9 mongo:4.4.3-bionic "docker-entrypoint.s…" 2 days ago Up 40 hours 27017/tcp db

docker logs ${CONTAINER ID}

Link

• How to move the Symbol node
• Symbol Tools - Symbol Node List
• Symbol Nodes - nodes
• Symbol documentation
• Symbol bootstrap repository