Local Node

Bootstrapping from a local full node is an efficient way to synchronize Dolos from a trusted source. The downside is having to run two processes (the source node + dolos) where some overlap exist. This method involves connecting via Ouroboros node-to-node mini-protocols.

Note

If you’re looking for way of bootstrapping Dolos but you don’t have a local full node, please refer to the alternative Public Relay option.

In essence, this bootstrapping procedure is just about starting Dolos and let it do its thing. From Dolos’ perspective, the procedure involves the following:

1. Read the genesis files to load initial data
2. Connect to the configured upstream node using Ouroboros
3. Start the chain-sync mini-protocol from origin
4. Keep syncing until reaching the tip of the chain

Configuration

To bootstrap using a local node, the required configuration includes the upstream section for the peer connection and the chain section for the network parameters:

[upstream]
peer_address = "localhost:30000"

[chain]
type = "cardano"
magic = 1
is_testnet = true

section	property	type	example
upstream	peer_address	string	”localhost:30000”
chain	magic	integer	1
chain	is_testnet	boolean	true

• peer_address: network address of peer node using {host}:{port} syntax.
• magic: the Cardano network magic number.
• is_testnet: flag to indicate if this network is a testnet or not.

Tip

We use localhost as an example but it can also be a different hostname as long as the TCP port is reachable.

Execution

To initialize the data stores for syncing from origin, run:

dolos bootstrap relay

Then start the daemon to begin syncing:

dolos daemon

The process will take several hours depending on the chain you’re synchronizing. You’ll see different log outputs, some lines will indicate the slot of the latest block pulled from the relay node. Compare this value to the tip of the chain as shown in a public explorer to track the overall progress.

Note

The process supports resuming from previous runs. You can safely interrupt the process and continue again from where you left off by just running the command again.