Node Types

Cloud Service supports several types of nodes, each serving different purposes in the network. Understanding the differences will help you choose the right setup for your needs.

Overview

Node Type	Full Blockchain	Mining	RPC API	Storage Required
Full Node	✅	❌	✅	50+ GB
Mining Node	✅	✅	✅	50+ GB
Pruned Node	Partial	❌	Limited	5-10 GB
Light Node	❌	❌	❌	Minimal
API Node	✅	❌	✅	50+ GB

---

Full Node

A full node downloads and validates the entire blockchain. It enforces all consensus rules and can serve data to other nodes.

Features

• Validates all blocks and transactions
• Stores complete blockchain history
• Supports all RPC commands
• Can serve historical data to other nodes

Use Cases

• Network infrastructure support
• Development and testing
• Transaction verification
• Block explorer backend

Configuration

# cs.conf - Full Node
server=1
listen=1
txindex=1
addressindex=1
timestampindex=1
dbcache=2048

---

Mining Node

A mining node is a full node with mining capabilities. It participates in block production and earns block rewards.

Features

• All full node features
• GPU mining support
• Stratum server for mining pools
• Block template generation

Requirements

• Stable internet connection
• Adequate power supply

Configuration

# cs.conf - Mining Node
server=1
listen=1
txindex=1

# Mining
gen=1
miningaddress=your_reward_address

# Stratum server (optional)
stratumport=3333

Starting Mining

# Start mining
cs-cli setgenerate true

# Set number of threads
cs-cli setgenerate true 4

# Check mining status
cs-cli getmininginfo

---

Pruned Node

A pruned node stores only recent blocks, reducing disk space requirements significantly.

Features

• Validates new transactions and blocks
• Limited historical data
• Reduced storage requirements
• Suitable for resource-constrained environments

Limitations

• Cannot serve historical blocks
• Some RPC commands unavailable
• Cannot rescan wallet for old transactions

Configuration

# cs.conf - Pruned Node
server=1
listen=1
prune=10000  # 10GB storage limit

When to Use

• Limited disk space
• Personal wallet use
• Testing and development
• Bandwidth-constrained environments

---

Light Node (SPV)

A Simplified Payment Verification (SPV) node only downloads block headers, not full blocks.

Features

• Minimal resource requirements
• Fast startup
• Basic transaction verification
• Suitable for mobile wallets

Limitations

• Cannot fully validate transactions
• Relies on full nodes for data
• Reduced privacy

Implementation

Light nodes are typically implemented in wallet applications using SPV verification libraries.

---

API Node

An API node is optimized for serving data to applications and services.

Features

• Full blockchain index
• Enhanced RPC capabilities
• REST API support
• WebSocket support for real-time data

Configuration

# cs.conf - API Node
server=1
listen=1
txindex=1
addressindex=1
timestampindex=1
spentindex=1
insight=1

# REST API
rest=1

# WebSocket
wsport=16181

Use Cases

• Block explorer backend
• Exchange integration
• Analytics platforms
• Application backends

---

Choosing the Right Node Type

For Personal Use

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│          Personal Use Node              │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Pruned Node (limited storage)         │
│ • Full Node (adequate storage)          │
│ • Light Node (mobile wallet)            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

For Mining

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│            Mining Setup                 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Mining Node with GPU                  │
│ • Dedicated full node + mining rig      │
│ • Pool mining setup                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

For Developers

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│          Developer Setup                │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Full Node with txindex                │
│ • API Node for applications             │
│ • Testnet node for testing              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

For Infrastructure Providers

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│        Infrastructure Provider          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Multiple full nodes                   │
│ • API nodes for services                │
│ • High-bandwidth connection             │
│ • Redundant setup                       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

---

Running Multiple Nodes

For advanced setups, you can run multiple node types:

# Node 1 - Full Node
csd -datadir=/data/cs-full -daemon
cs-
# Node 2 - Mining Node
csd -datadir=/data/cs-mining -port=16188 -rpcport=16190 -daemon
cs-
# Node 3 - Testnet Node
csd -datadir=/data/cs-testnet -testnet -daemon
```cs-

---

## Next Steps

- Configure your [Node Settings](/node-configuration)
- Set up [Monitoring & Maintenance](/monitoring)
- Start [Mining](/mining/overview)