How to run a Tron Node | Blockchain Today

In this guide, you will learn about the basics of running a Tron node, which is one of the oldest smart contract platforms in the world.

Requirements

To run a Tron node, the basic requirements are:

• 16-core CPU

• 32GB RAM

• 1.5+ TB SSD

Bandwidth of at least 100M If you plan to run a full node, you will need a 32-core CPU, and at least 64GB of RAM.

Categories of Tron Nodes

The Tron network comes with different types of nodes, which are:

Super Node (SR) There are 27 SR nodes in Tron, and they have the role of producing new blocks. They verify transactions, write them into blocks, and produce blocks. Every node within the Tron network has access to the data produced by the SR nodes.

Full Node A full node stores and syncs all data generated by the blockchain. It validates all blocks, and phases, and enables external inquiry via Grpc API, and HTTP API.

Solidity Node This node only integrates data from the full node that it specifies. It also provides an API service.

Lite Full node

A lite full node differs from a full node in that it only starts based on a state data screenshot. This screenshot only includes all account state data and historical data from the preceding 256 blocks. While a node is operational, only data about the current data snapshot is retained; historical data is not saved.

A lite full node has certain advantages in that it takes up less space, and boots fast. However, it lacks historical data inquiries. Besides that, it only supports a portion of the full node’s HTTP and Grpc APIs.

Why Use Tron

Tron has numerous advantages over other networks. They include:

• Rapid Transactions

Transactions on the Tron network are extremely fast. According to Tron, network speeds are as high as 2000 TPS. The high speed is useful when scaling the network and it could push the network into mainstream adoption.

• DApps Support

Tron supports the creation and deployment of decentralized apps, and smart contract functionality. From DeFi to NFTs, these use cases can all be designed on the Tron networks.

• High Token Utility

Within the Tron ecosystem, TRX has great utility. The tokens can be used to assist users to conduct international trades. As the DApp ecosystem grows and evolves, Tron can use the technology to come up with new use cases, which will increase the value of the tokens.

How to Deploy a Tron Node

To deploy an SR node, the recommended system requirements are 64GB of RAM, a Bandwidth of at least 500M, a 64-core CPU, and an SSD of at least 20 TB. The steps to follow are:

• Download the configuration file, private_net_config.conf on the Tron Github site

• Provide a private key to a local witness

• Provide the corresponding address of the private key = genesis.block.witnesses

• Provide p2p.version equals to any positive integer other than 11111

• Provide the first SR needSyncCheck = false, and others to True

• Provide node.discovery.enable = true

• Now run the script below

nohup java -Xmx6g -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -jar FullNode.jar –witness -c private_net_config.conf command line parameter’s introduction: –witness: start witness function. For SuperNode, this parameter is required, i.e.: –witness

–log-config: specify the log configuration file path, i.e.: –log-config logback.xml

-c: specify the configuration file path, i.e.: -c config.conf

FullNode Deployment

• Download the configuration file, private_net_config.conf on the Tron Github site

• Provide the seed.node ip.list with SR’s ip and port

• Provide p2p.version the same as SuperNode’s p2p.version

• Provide genesis. block the same as genesis.block

• Next, needSyncCheck = true

• Next, node.discovery.enable = true

• Run the below script

nohup java -Xmx6g -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -jar FullNode.jar -c private_net_config.conf command lines parameters

–log-config: specify the log configuration file path, i.e.: –log-config logback.xml

-c: specify the configuration file path, i.e.: -c config.conf

Running a Tron Node is Complicated

From the instructions above, running a Tron node is not cheap, the type of hardware requirements will set you back over a thousand dollars, or more. Besides that, you will have to conduct regular maintenance on your own. Not only is that time-consuming, but it can also derail you from implementing any project you had planned to deploy on Tron. The easiest solution to this problem is to use a Tron node hosting service. Luckily, numerous hosting services support Tron nodes.

One of the main challenges you will face when operating a Tron node is scaling challenges. No matter how experienced you are as a developer, you will face scaling challenges as your project grows. One of the challenges you will face is nodes being out of sync, which can lead to major issues for users of your blockchain-based applications.

Why Use a Node Provider?

One of the basic reasons to use a Tron node provider is to enjoy 100% uptime. When operating a node on your own, it can be almost impossible to guarantee uptime. The reason for this is that residential power is often quite unreliable when running something like a node. For instance, the utility company will often shut down the power a few times a year for maintenance purposes. They may also experience fluctuations during natural disasters. These are challenges that a node hosting service can competently deal with at all times.

Another benefit of using Tron nodes hosting service is that you get access to dedicated support. These teams spend the majority of their time working on fixes to issues with deployed nodes before they become an issue. As a result, you will never face any challenges. If you are facing any issues, the professional and experienced customer support team will quickly deal with them.

One of the top blockchain hosting services that tick all the right boxes is CryptoNodes.io, which is a blockchain node hosting service that offers Tron nodes hosting to users all over the world. The company offers users dedicated nodes, which ensures that only the user can access the node. Besides that, the company does all the server-side updates automatically, which takes away the stress of having to manage a Tron Node on your own. By managing the node on your behalf, the company ensures that you never have to worry about the downside.