Book of node (Beginners)
- a little guide to make it easier to understand
🌐 Understanding Servers & Infrastructure (For Beginners)
Before we run a validator or node, we need to understand the basic tools and systems we’ll be using. Many new people in crypto DevOps come from non-technical backgrounds, so don’t worry — this section explains everything simply.
🖥️ What is a Server?
A server is just a computer that runs 24/7 and is usually placed in a data center. It’s not much different from your laptop, but it’s designed to stay online and be accessed remotely.
☁️ What is a VPS?
A VPS (Virtual Private Server) is a "virtual machine" — like a slice of a big server. You get your own space with Linux installed, but the physical hardware is shared with others.
Popular VPS providers:
Contabo
DigitalOcean
Vultr
Hetzner
More advanced providers:
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
Google Cloud
Azure
🧱 Dedicated Server vs Bare Metal
A dedicated server gives you full access to one physical machine.
Bare metal usually means raw hardware with no virtualization — very high performance.
These are more expensive but used for high-stakes validators or mainnet operations.
📟 What is SSH?
SSH (Secure Shell) lets you connect to your remote server securely from your local computer.
Think of SSH like opening a terminal into your server from anywhere in the world.
Basic SSH command:
ssh username@your-server-ip🌍 Public IP vs Private IP
Public IP = The address the world sees. You use this to connect to your server from the internet.
Private IP = Used inside data centers or internal networks (not accessible from outside).
For node setups, we usually use the public IP.
🐧 What is Ubuntu?
Ubuntu is a type of Linux — an open-source operating system that runs on most servers.
When people say "Linux server", they usually mean Ubuntu or Debian. Most crypto nodes use Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04.
☁️ Choosing the Right Server Provider
Not all server providers are the same. Some are cheap but slow. Others are fast but expensive. It all depends on your needs — are you just testing, or running a serious mainnet validator?
Let’s break it down simply.
🔍 Types of Use Cases
Learning & Practice
Cheap VPS, small specs, monthly billing
Testnet Validator
Reliable VPS, enough CPU & RAM
Mainnet Validator
High performance (Dedicated or Bare Metal)
Archive or RPC Node
Large storage, fast network, high IOPS
⚖️ Comparing Popular Server Providers
Contabo
VPS / Dedicated
💰 Cheap
Medium
⭐⭐
Testnets, backups
Hetzner
VPS / Bare Metal
💵 Affordable
High
⭐⭐⭐
Testnets & Mainnet
Vultr
VPS
💵 Medium
Good
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Simple testnet setups
DigitalOcean
VPS
💵 Medium
Good
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Beginners
AWS
Cloud (VPS)
💸 Expensive
Excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mainnet + serious uptime
Google Cloud
Cloud (VPS)
💸 Expensive
Excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Advanced use cases
OVHcloud
VPS / Dedicated
💵 Medium
Good
⭐⭐
Geo diversity, mainnets
✅ Cheap Doesn’t Mean Bad
Cheap providers like Contabo or Hetzner are great for testnets. They give you good specs for the price. But:
Sometimes slower disk or network speed
Support may be limited
Downtime can happen (but rarely)
Still — great value for learning or experimenting.
⚡ When to Use Premium Providers
Use AWS, Google Cloud, or DigitalOcean if you need:
Very high uptime
Good global latency
Advanced features (like backups, snapshots, API, autoscaling)
Downside? 💸 It’s expensive. Example: $80–200/month for specs that cost $10–30/month on Contabo or Hetzner.
🔧 Example Specs for Crypto Use
Testnet Node
2 vCPU
4–8 GB
100 GB SSD
Contabo VPS / Hetzner
Mainnet Validator
4+ vCPU
16+ GB
500 GB NVMe
Hetzner Bare Metal
Archive / RPC Node
8+ vCPU
32+ GB
2–4 TB NVMe SSD
AWS / Hetzner / OVH
🌍 Location Matters
Try to pick server locations close to your target chain’s region or other validators (Europe is usually safest).
Example:
Cosmos chains: Frankfurt (EU), Helsinki
Ethereum L2: US West or Central
Sui, Aptos, etc.: Pick what the community uses (usually in docs or Discord)
🧠 Final Tips
Start small, then upgrade if needed
Always check for bandwidth limits (some providers have caps)
Avoid trialing on AWS unless you’re okay with surprise bills 💥
📌 For most beginners, we recommend starting with Contabo or Hetzner for the best balance of price and power.
🧠 Summary for Beginners
VPS
A virtual server (shared machine)
Dedicated Server
Full physical server (not shared)
Bare Metal
Raw physical hardware
Public IP
The IP used to access your server from the internet
Private IP
Used internally inside a data center
SSH
Secure way to access your server remotely
Ubuntu
Popular Linux OS for running servers and crypto nodes
Server Provider
Company where you rent a VPS or server (AWS, Contabo, etc.)
Next up → "Virtualization"
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