Node Provider Documentation

Introduction

The Internet Computer is a decentralized network of nodes running an instance of the network's protocol software. These nodes are owned by Node Providers who invest in and operate the node hardware that powers the network. Running these nodes in data centers provides the high performance and cost-effectiveness of the Internet Computer.

Each Node Provider receives rewards for their nodes' useful work. Individuals or organizations can become Node Providers by submitting a proposal to the Network Nervous System (NNS), the Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) that governs the Internet Computer. The ICP community then votes on whether or not to include the Node Provider.

The more diverse the set of Node Providers who supply node machines, the more resilient the Internet Computer is. You can support the Internet Computer and the ICP community by becoming a Node Provider and increasing its decentralization.

⚠️ No new node machines being onboarded: Target topology reached

Last year, the community voted on an ICP target topology with a maximum number of node machines, as well as on an optimization model to validate candidate node machines against this ICP target topology. The ICP target topology has been reached as of December 2023; see more information in this forum post.

This means that the ICP network currently does not require any additional node machines in order to reach its decentralization targets. Therefore, DFINITY will not vote to adopt any proposals for new node machines being added to the IC network. Once the subnets are reaching capacity and more subnets are required to run all applications, the community may decide to increase the target topology again and allow additional node machines to join the network.

**For any NPs desiring to sell/buy existing nodes, our policy right now is the following:

• Any nodes (Gen-1 or Gen-2) that get sold from one NP to another, the new NP should move to a country that maintains or improves decentralization. The NP should post the intent in the forums for awareness, create the proper proposals for becoming an NP, etc.
• The rewards would stay according to what's listed in the wiki for that generation/region.
  • If someone wants to move nodes to Gen-2 nodes to a new region that is not yet on the wiki, then the new NP should start a forum thread so that the rates for that country/region can be discussed publicly. If they feel that the costs for the new region are similar to an existing region, then that would be a good starting point for discussion.

Roadmap

To become a Node Provider, follow the Node Provider Roadmap, which explain the costs, rewards, responsibilities, and steps required to become a Node Provider.

Resources

• Node deployment guides:
  • Legacy (Gen-1) Node Deployment Guide (with an HSM)
  • Current (Gen-2) Node Deployment Guide (without an HSM)
• Node Provider onboarding
  • Node Provider Onboarding
  • Steps for Gen-1 Node onboarding after 48 months
  • Node Provider Self-declaration
  • Validation of Candidate Node Machines
  • Node Provider Reward Configuration Guide
  • Troubleshooting Failed NNS proposals
• Troubleshooting and maintenance:
  • Node Provider Maintenance Guide
  • Node Provider Troubleshooting Guide
  • Node Provider Matrix channel
• Guides and resources
  • Node Provider Machine Hardware Guide
  • Node Provider Networking Guide
  • Node Provider Alerting Options
  • Node Provider Data Center and ISP Guide
  • Node Provider Decentralization and Security Guide
  • Node Provider Legal Guide
  • Node Provider Remuneration
  • Node Provider Domain Name Guide
  • BMC Password Reset Guide
  • Gen1 Node Provider onboarding Gen2 node machines
  • Guide for Gen-1 to Gen-1.5 RMU build
• Other resources:
  • Node Provider FAQ