Single or Multiple Nodes

Node Operators
1

Hey all,

Quick question as i’m struggling to make my mind up after reading lots of posts.

I have a server running with 30TB of hard drive space, i currently run a node on it which is using 12TB so I have 18TB spare currently. Is it better to run the server as 1 single node of 30TB or would it be better to split the 30TB into three or four different nodes? I’m able to run these as I have different public IP’s to attach them too.

Cheers,

Ian.

2

Is this 18TB is one space or it separete HDDs? If it one raid spaice then beter 1 node, if separate hdds no raid, then each hdd can be a node. If your public IPs are in same /24 space, there is no point to make many public ip as they will be treated as 1 ip. it like if you have some 213.180.14.1-254 external ip, will be treated like 1 node.

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3

More public IPs have the potential to earn more traffic. You should be using every different public IP you have.

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4

If you are being self interested then 1 node per ip will get you more data.(if the ip are in separate enough nets)

If you are being benevolent then you should only use 1 ip per physical location, for the greater good.

If your storage is configured as 1 contiguous area then 1 node is best, otherwise 1 node per disk

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5

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the reply’s, I’m using UNRAID as my storage controller currently they are all pooled together but i can break them into different drives or I can run multiple dockers attached to the pool using different amounts of space. My preferred is the second option.

Unfortunately i’d have to keep the hardward all in the same lcoation for now but that will change in the future. My main goal at the minute is to cover the running costs of the equipment and make just a little extra on the side which I can leave build until there is enough to keep expanding the node. I’m not really doing this for personnal financial gain it’s more of a fun hobby currently.

Anyone have any idea as to the optimal size for a node?

6

Do not put several nodes to use the same pool, especially on Unraid and especially with unraid community app.
The Unraid community app for Storj uses an old outdated command, which guarantee the disqualification of your node after reboot:

  • the Unraid has a flaw in the design: it starts user’s disks after the full boot, but docker service started before the disks are available;
  • the Unriad community app have several issues:
    • it uses -v option instead of --mount type=bind, thus the docker will create an empty volume, if drive is not available (exactly the case for Unraid design);
      • the storagenode will start from scratch in such case and will be disqualified pretty quick because of missed customers’ data;
    • it uses :alpha tag instead of :latest;

So, the workaround is to run the storagenode without Unraid community app and use this guide: https://documentation.storj.io/setup/cli/storage-node instead, or contact the author and ask to fix issues with their app.

Why using the same pool for several nodes is not a good idea? Because they will concurrent for the same resource and will interfere each other, slow down everyone.

As described earlier, multiple nodes behind the same /24 subnet of public IPs will share the bandwidth, i.e. from the /24 subnet only one node will be selected for each segment. For the SNO this is mean, that traffic will be distributed between such nodes, in summary they would have the same or less traffic as only the one node.

Each new node must be vetted. It can receive only 5% of potential traffic from the customers of the satellite until got vetted. To be vetted on said satellite it should pass 100 audits for it. For the one node it should take at least a month.

In case of multiple nodes behind the same /24 subnet of public IPs the vetting process would be in the same amount times longer as a number of such nodes.

So, it’s much better to start the next node only when the previous one almost full or at least vetted. In this case the vetting process will not take forever.
And of course, they should use a separate disks/pools for the data.

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7

Hi Alexey,

I believe the new community app from StorjLABs (V3) has been updated to utilise the --mount command and not use -v option, --mount is being used by my current node.

Capture

My IPs are completely different subnets so there should be no issues i believe running the multiple nodes using my UNRAID setup?

However, I don’t want my current node to get disqualified as i’ve been running it over a year now.

8

We do not have an official app for Unraid. So, it’s still unofficial.
If you uses the --mount instead of -v then it should be ok.

For multiple nodes it’s not good to share the same pool anyway.