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Version: v1

Setting up boot nodes for Midnight

Boot nodes serve as initial connection points for nodes joining the Midnight Network. They help new nodes discover and connect to active peers in the network. While running a boot node is optional, doing so strengthens network decentralization and improves peer discovery.

Boot Node​

A boot node is a node that helps other nodes connect to the Midnight blockchain by providing a list of active peer addresses. Any node can function as a boot node - it's determined by usage rather than unique configuration. When a node starts, it connects to known boot nodes to discover other peers in the network.

Prerequisites​

Before setting up your Midnight boot node, ensure you have the following:

Setting up a boot node​

Step 1: Configure PostgreSQL database​

Set up a PostgreSQL instance with the following parameters:

  • Host: PostgreSQL server address.
  • Port: Default 5432.
  • Username: Database user.
  • Password: Database password.
  • Database Name: Name of the database (e.g., cexplorer).

Step 2: Run the Docker command for a boot node​

Use the following Docker command to set up your boot node. Replace placeholder values with your actual configuration.

For Preview network:

docker run \
  --name midnight-boot-node \
  --platform linux/amd64 \
  -p 30333:30333 \
  -v midnight-data:/node \
  -e CFG_PRESET="preview" \
  -e BASE_PATH="/node/chain/" \
  -e POSTGRES_HOST="<your-postgres-host>" \
  -e POSTGRES_PORT="5432" \
  -e POSTGRES_USER="<your-db-user>" \
  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD="<your-db-password>" \
  -e POSTGRES_DB="cexplorer" \
  midnightnetwork/midnight-node:<VERSION> \
  --chain=/res/preview/chain-spec-raw.json \
  --listen-addr /ip4/0.0.0.0/tcp/30333 \
  --bootnodes /dns/bootnode-1.preview.midnight.network/tcp/30333/ws/p2p/12D3KooWK66i7dtGVNSwDh9tTeqov1q6LSdWsRLJvTyzTCaywYgK \
  --bootnodes /dns/bootnode-2.preview.midnight.network/tcp/30333/ws/p2p/12D3KooWHqFfXFwb7WW4jwR8pr4BEf562v5M6c8K3CXAJq4Wx6ym \
  --no-private-ip

For Preprod network:

docker run \
  --name midnight-boot-node \
  --platform linux/amd64 \
  -p 30333:30333 \
  -v midnight-data:/node \
  -e CFG_PRESET="preprod" \
  -e BASE_PATH="/node/chain/" \
  -e POSTGRES_HOST="<your-postgres-host>" \
  -e POSTGRES_PORT="5432" \
  -e POSTGRES_USER="<your-db-user>" \
  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD="<your-db-password>" \
  -e POSTGRES_DB="cexplorer" \
  midnightnetwork/midnight-node:<VERSION> \
  --chain=/res/preprod/chain-spec-raw.json \
  --listen-addr /ip4/0.0.0.0/tcp/30333 \
  --bootnodes /dns/bootnode-1.preprod.midnight.network/tcp/30333/ws/p2p/12D3KooWQxxUgq7ndPfAaCFNbAxtcKYxrAzTxDfRGNktF75SxdX5 \
  --bootnodes /dns/bootnode-2.preprod.midnight.network/tcp/30333/ws/p2p/12D3KooWNrUBs22FfmgjqFMa9ZqKED2jnxwsXWw5E4q2XVwN35TJ \
  --no-private-ip

Replace the following:

  • <VERSION> - Node version from the release compatibility matrix
  • <your-postgres-host> - PostgreSQL server address (use host.docker.internal if Cardano-db-sync runs on the same machine)
  • <your-db-user> - Database username configured in Cardano-db-sync
  • <your-db-password> - Database password configured in Cardano-db-sync
note

Set ALLOW_NON_SSL=true only for local development environments without SSL certificates. Production deployments should always use SSL/TLS for PostgreSQL connections.

Known network boot nodes​

Use the boot nodes corresponding to your target network environment.

Preview network​

--bootnodes /dns/bootnode-1.preview.midnight.network/tcp/30333/ws/p2p/12D3KooWK66i7dtGVNSwDh9tTeqov1q6LSdWsRLJvTyzTCaywYgK \
--bootnodes /dns/bootnode-2.preview.midnight.network/tcp/30333/ws/p2p/12D3KooWHqFfXFwb7WW4jwR8pr4BEf562v5M6c8K3CXAJq4Wx6ym

Preprod network​

--bootnodes /dns/bootnode-1.preprod.midnight.network/tcp/30333/ws/p2p/12D3KooWQxxUgq7ndPfAaCFNbAxtcKYxrAzTxDfRGNktF75SxdX5 \
--bootnodes /dns/bootnode-2.preprod.midnight.network/tcp/30333/ws/p2p/12D3KooWNrUBs22FfmgjqFMa9ZqKED2jnxwsXWw5E4q2XVwN35TJ
note

You can specify multiple boot nodes for redundancy. The node will attempt to connect to all provided boot nodes and use them to discover additional peers.

Verifying the Node​

Check logs​

Monitor the node's logs to ensure it syncs with the network:

docker logs -f <node-name>

Test connectivity​

Ensure the node's P2P port (default: 30333) is open and reachable for network communication. Use tools like telnet, netcat, or nmap to verify the port status and ensure the node is properly connected to the network.