⚙️Node Specifications

Constellation Network's Node Spec Requirements.

TL;DR

View specs starting here.

Introduction​

As with any cryptographic ecosystem, there are specific hardware requirements that must be met to ensure your node operates securely, efficiently, and reliably within the Constellation Network’s ecosystem.

Meeting these requirements is essential for maintaining node performance, ensuring compatibility with consensus protocols, and avoiding issues related to resource limitations.

Hardware Requirements​

Constellation Network currently supports two distinct types of nodes across its Hypergraph and metagraph infrastructure:

• Constellation Network Hybrid Validator Node

• Dor Validator Data Layer 1 Node

Virtual vs Dedicated

A VPS (Virtual Private Server) is a virtualized environment running on a physical machine that shares resources (tenancies) with other instances. This makes it a more cost-effective option for operators who are just getting started.

A group of these VPS instances forms what is commonly referred to as the "cloud."

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In contrast, a dedicated bare metal server is a physical machine allocated to a single tenant. It offers exclusive access to all hardware resources and typically provides higher performance and configurability. Many cloud providers offer both VPS and dedicated server options, depending on your needs.

Constellation Network does not require or prefer one over the other.

You are free to choose the infrastructure that best fits your technical experience, performance expectations, and budget.

Bare Metal

A bare metal server is a physical machine designed to run dedicated services for a single tenant. Unlike virtualized environments, bare metal servers provide full access to the underlying hardware, offering maximum performance, control, and customization.

You can run a bare metal server from various environments, including:

• A personal data center

• A colocation facility

• A private office

• Even from your home, if conditions allow

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Because you have full control over both hardware and software, this setup is best suited for advanced operators who need:

• Greater resource allocation

• Custom system configurations

• Specialized networking or storage requirements

Due to the complexity and responsibility involved, bare metal servers are not recommended for beginners or casual operators

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🔁 Constellation Network Hybrid Node

A Hybrid Node is required to operate on both the:

• Global Layer 0 – the global consensus and infrastructure layer

• DAG Layer 1 – the native currency and transaction layer for the $DAG token

This dual-role node type is commonly referred to as a Hybrid Validator Node.

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Hybrid Node Hardware Requirements

To ensure reliable and efficient performance hybrid nodes must meet the following minimum hardware specifications:

Component	Requirement	Preferred
CPU	8 vCPUs	Greater than 8 vCPUs
RAM	16 GB	32 GB
Disk	320Gb	500Gb
Storage Type	SSD	NVMe / NVM
Bandwidth	2 TB/month	10 TB/month
OS	Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (64-bit)	Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (64-bit)
Architecture	x86_64	x86_64

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🔁 Dor Data Layer 1 Node

A Dor Node is required to operate on both the:

• Data Layer 1 Metagraph – the data validation layer for the Dor metagraph

Dor Node Hardware Requirements

To ensure reliable and efficient performance hybrid nodes must meet the following minimum hardware specifications:

Component	Requirement	Preferred
CPU	2 vCPUs	Greater than 2 vCPUs
RAM	2 GB	4 GB
Disk	40Gb	80Gb
Storage Type	SSD	NVMe / NVM
Bandwidth	1 TB/month	5 TB/month
OS	Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (64-bit)	Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (64-bit)
Architecture	x86_64	x86_64

Software Specification Requirements​

Distribution​

• Linux Debian-based distribution

Operation System Recommendations​

• Ubuntu 24.04

• Debian 12

Software Specific Version Requirements​

• Java 11

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Considerations

Constellation Network's Tessellation is developed to run on any Debian distribution with Java 11 installed.

The nodectl utility was developed to run specifically on Ubuntu 24.04 and Ubuntu 22.04.

Ubuntu Specific​

Ubuntu uses the convention of .04 to represent versions of their Debian distribution that is LTS (long term support), and .10 for their more "experimental" short term support releases.

It is highly recommended to use a .04 version release.