Running a Full Node (Testnet)

Operating a full node on Relix Testnet gives you a direct view of the network and removes your dependency on third-party RPC providers. For teams building serious applications, it is often the first piece of in-house infrastructure that should be online.

This page focuses on the overall process and operational mindset. Exact binaries, flags, and configuration files should always be taken from the official Relix GitHub repository and release notes.

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1. What a full node actually does

A Relix full node:

• Connects to peers on the network

• Downloads blocks from genesis onward

• Verifies each block and executes all transactions

• Builds and maintains the current state (accounts, balances, contract storage)

• Relays blocks and transactions to other nodes

Once synchronized, your node can also serve:

• JSON-RPC requests for your own applications

• Data for monitoring and analytics

• As a stable, trusted peer for validator or RPC nodes you operate later

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2. Recommended baseline for testnet

For Relix Testnet, you do not need datacenter-grade hardware, but the machine should still be treated as a long-running service.

Indicative starting point:

• CPU: 2–4 vCPUs

• RAM: 8–16 GB

• Storage:

  • SSD (NVMe if possible)

  • At least 500 GB free for testnet, with room to grow

• Network:

  • Stable broadband connection

  • Open outbound connections; inbound ports configured according to the node software’s docs

• OS:

  • 64-bit Linux (Ubuntu / Debian family is typical for server setups)

You can run a node on bare metal, a VM, or a cloud instance, as long as it meets the above and is maintained like any other production service.

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3. Obtain the Relix node software

The canonical source for node binaries and instructions is the official GitHub organization:

GitHub: https://github.com/relixchain

A typical flow looks like:

1. Visit the repository that contains the node implementation (for example, a Relix client based on a Go-Ethereum fork or similar).

2. Check the README and releases section for:

   • Supported platforms

   • Prebuilt binaries, if available

   • Build-from-source instructions (compiler versions, dependencies)

3. Either:

   • Download the binary that matches your OS, or

   • Clone the repository and compile the node according to the documented steps.

Always verify that you are using a tagged release appropriate for the current testnet, not an arbitrary development branch.

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4. Configure the node for Relix Testnet

Relix Testnet has the following key identifiers:

• Chain ID: 4127

• Network: Relix Testnet

• Public RPC (for reference): https://rpc-testnet.relixchain.com

• Explorer: https://testnet.relixchain.com

The node client will usually provide:

• A way to select the network (testnet vs other networks)

• Paths for data directories and configuration files

• Flags for P2P settings (port, max peers, etc.)

• Optional flags to enable JSON-RPC on local interfaces

Your goal at this step is to:

• Point the node to the Relix Testnet configuration (genesis, bootnodes, chain ID).

• Choose a data directory on your SSD where the chain data will be stored.

• Decide whether this node should also expose a local RPC endpoint for your own use.

The exact flag names and configuration file formats will depend on the client implementation, so follow the examples in the Relix documentation or README closely.

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5. Starting the node and initial sync

Once configuration is in place, start the node process in the background (systemd service, screen/tmux session, or your preferred process manager).

You should see logs similar to:

• Connecting to peers

• Downloading and importing blocks

• Reports of current block height and syncing status

The first synchronization can take some time, depending on:

• The size of the testnet chain

• Your network throughput and latency

• Disk performance

During this phase:

• Monitor CPU, RAM, and disk usage to ensure the machine is not under-provisioned.

• Confirm that new peers are discovered and that the reported block height is catching up to the latest height on https://testnet.relixchain.com.

Once the node reports that it is fully synchronized (or shows recent blocks matching the explorer), it is ready for use.

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6. Enabling local JSON-RPC (optional but recommended)

For most development teams, a full node is most useful when it also serves local RPC traffic.

The node software will typically allow you to:

• Enable an HTTP endpoint bound to 127.0.0.1 or a private network interface.

• Select which RPC methods are exposed (eth_*, net_*, etc.).

• Control CORS, rate limits, and other security-related options.

Good practices:

• Keep RPC ports bound to internal addresses by default; do not expose them directly to the public internet unless you know exactly what you are doing.

• Use a reverse proxy (Nginx, HAProxy, Traefik) if you need to expose RPC to other machines or services, with access control and logging in place.

• Separate read-heavy and write-heavy workloads if your infrastructure grows, so one misbehaving client does not affect everything.

Once the local RPC is active, you can point your applications and scripts to:

• http://127.0.0.1:<rpc-port> (for internal services), or

• A private IP / hostname inside your network.

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7. Monitoring and maintenance

A full node should be treated like any other production system:

• Monitor health

  • Track block height, peer count, CPU, memory, disk usage.

  • Alarm on conditions like “node is significantly behind the network” or “disk almost full”.

• Rotate logs

  • Keep log files manageable in size.

  • Store important logs long enough to debug issues, but avoid filling the disk.

• Update deliberately

  • Follow Relix announcements for new releases, security patches, or protocol changes.

  • Test upgrades on a non-critical node when possible before touching key infrastructure.

• Backups and recovery

  • Although the chain state can be rebuilt from peers, backing up configuration, keys (if any), and monitoring setups will save time if the machine fails.

  • For nodes that also serve as RPC gateways, keep your deployment scripts and config management in version control so you can recreate the environment quickly.

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8. Using your node in development

Once your full node is synced and stable, you can:

• Point local tools (Hardhat, Foundry, custom scripts) to your node instead of the public RPC.

• Use it as the default backend for staging environments.

• Gradually integrate more services indexers, dashboards, validators against it.

Running your own full node on Relix Testnet is both a reliability upgrade and a strategic step toward operating serious infrastructure when mainnet and larger-scale deployments go live.