Archive nodes function similarly to Full nodes, but build an archive of all historical states of a blockchain network. This type of node is useful when querying historical blockchain data that is not accessible on Full nodes.

For instance, Full nodes on Ethereum provide access only to data from the last 128 blocks on the network, while archive nodes offer access to all data from the genesis block.

As archive nodes are built by replaying the blocks from Genesis, they store a lot of data, which needs multiple terabytes of storage to maintain detailed transaction histories. Archive nodes also require huge resources to manage, are time-consuming, require high bandwidths, and could be difficult to synchronize properly. 

Luckily, there are solutions to these challenges such as node service providers that enable easy syncing, provide storage requirements, and reduce the time to replay the blocks for archive nodes.

This article covers the challenges of setting up an archive node, the node demands across different clients and blockchains, and best practices for efficient archive node management.

We also discuss Allnodes, a node service provider, that aims to ease the challenges via its robust infrastructure solutions and cost-effective platform. 

Archive nodes are important to the blockchain ecosystem as full nodes do not offer the full history of the blockchain, which could be important for several professions in the space including academics, auditors, developers, and building explorers.

These historical data caches offer better security, improved transparency, seamless data accessibility, and easier querying of data. 

Having said that, archive nodes have several pitfalls when it comes to operating, managing, and maintaining them. In-house deployment, scaling, and maintenance of archival systems can be resource-heavy and time-consuming. 

First, archive nodes store large amounts of data, leading to heavy storage requirements. For instance, an Ethereum Full node may require about 1 TB of storage space to function efficiently while archive nodes may jump to 3 TB (for an Erigon client) and up to 13 TB of storage for the Geth client. As the blockchain grows with every added block, the storage capacity needed to house the complete ledger increases. 

Secondly, the process of setting up an archive node from scratch is time-consuming. An individual developer, independently setting up such a node could take weeks. This is due to the initial synchronization that archive nodes require, saving years of block data onto the node.

Additionally, a small mistake in the syncing process could undo weeks of progress which may cause even more delays. 

Archive nodes require substantial bandwidth to download the entire blockchain, especially for new nodes joining the network. This high bandwidth usage can lead to increased operational costs and require a strong internet connection.

Finally, archive nodes need specialized hardware which causes a high demand for RAM and CPUs. It is recommended to use a fast CPU with 4+ cores, starting at 3.5 Ghz, 16 GB RAM minimum requirement, and a bandwidth speed of 1Gbps. Maintaining this hardware and synchronizing such extensive amounts of data may be a daunting task for many developers.

The cost implications of setting up an archive node, maintaining it, and buying the hardware and storage could reach thousands of dollars which is unaffordable for most developers. 

Different blockchains have different storage requirements and demands for running an archive node. As explained above, Ethereum’s clients have different specifications for running a node.

Go Ethereum (Geth), the most popular client software for EVM-based networks, requires upwards of 13 TB of storage to efficiently run an archive node. Erigon client (formerly, Turbo-Geth), an implementation of Geth requires far less storage space at about ~2 TB, as of writing, but is expected to grow over time. 

Similarly, running a full archive node on Cosmos will be resource intensive, but not as much as is on Ethereum. As of June 2023, Cosmos required ~1.6 TB of SSD storage space, 16 GB RAM, and a CPU with 4+ cores. However, the recommended setup currently requires 32 GB RAM, 2+ TB storage SSD, and  4vCPU (8threads). Developers must install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS to start syncing. 

So what are some of the solutions available to the challenges of setting up an archive node? 

One of the most important pieces to setting up an archive node is optimizing the storage. Developers need to find efficient storage solutions to ensure that storage is minimized without losing any critical data. This includes taking into account file duplicates, selecting a suitable compression technique, or the use of external storage options such as cloud storage. 

Being prepared for the resource demands of archiving is also important to ensure a smooth and seamless archive. The developer should know and prepare for the vast storage requirements needed with a plan of how to store more data as the archive grows. Balancing the RAM and CPU allocation is key and can be done efficiently by utilizing load balancing and redundancy to prevent bottlenecks.

More importantly, improve the synchronization techniques to speed up initial syncing e.g. using snapshot downloads. Start your initial syncing processes as early as possible to reduce the initial sync period. Regular maintenance and updates and having a backup will also prevent desynchronization, ensuring nothing goes wrong as the block data is synced to the node. 

“What’s alarming is that if anything goes wrong in the process, you’ll have to start syncing all over again,” said Konstantin Boyko-Romanovsky, CEO of Allnodes in an interview with Techbullion. “Having a backup node is essential not just for the setup phase but in general.”

Finally, archiving nodes requires a strict cost management strategy, which can be achieved by buying hardware storage in bulk purchases, buying longer-term cloud storage subscriptions, or using a node service provider, such as Allnodes. 

Allnodes is a leader in node service provision, allowing developers to easily solve the challenges while setting up their archive nodes. By making use of their robust infrastructure, designed to handle high storage and synchronization demands, users can easily set up, scale, and maintain their archive nodes.

The service is available globally and ensures low latency, robust redundancy, and scalability. Allnodes provides a user-friendly and affordable solution for node hosting and management, freeing developers from worries about infrastructure-related issues.

The platform is very reliable with 99.9% uptime. It has multi-layer protection, real-time monitoring safeguard nodes, and 24/7 customer support. They offer flexible pricing plans and cloud storage options to manage costs.

Speaking on the most important aspect to look for in a node service provider, Boyko-Romanovsky stated, “Reliability is key. You want a provider that has a solid track record of high uptime. You don’t want your project to hit a roadblock because the service is down. Remember that as your project grows, the demands on your archival nodes will increase.”

By choosing service providers like Allnodes, developers can focus on building and innovating their blockchain projects, knowing that the underlying infrastructure is secure and efficiently managed.

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