Create a private network using the IBFT consensus protocol

A private network provides a configurable network for testing. This private network uses the IBFT consensus protocol.

Important

The steps in this tutorial create an isolated, but not protected or secure, Ethereum private network. We recommend running the private network behind a properly configured firewall.

Prerequisites

GoQuorum. Ensure that PATH contains geth and bootnode.

Tip

GoQuorum is a fork of geth. GoQuorum uses the geth command to start GoQuorum nodes.

Steps

Listed on the right-hand side of the page are the steps to create a private network using IBFT with 5 nodes.

1. Install Istanbul tools

The istanbul-tools repository contains tools for configuring IBFT networks.

git clone https://github.com/ConsenSys/istanbul-tools.git
cd istanbul-tools
make

2. Create directories

Create directories for your private network and 5 nodes.

IBFT-Network/
├── Node-0
│   ├── data
├── Node-1
│   ├── data
├── Node-2
│   ├── data
├── Node-3
│   ├── data
├── Node-4
│   ├── data

3. Generate keys and configuration

In the IBFT-Network directory, generate keys and configuration for 5 nodes.

<path to istanbul-tools>/istanbul-tools/build/bin/istanbul setup --num 5 --nodes --quorum --save --verbose

Node keys for 5 nodes, a static-nodes.json files, and a genesis.json files are generated.

Result

validators
{
 "Address": "0x66f976d16c906b1b7e0e110d6950b109f146120f",
 "Nodekey": "25c125f25955a6e026fb9fa97dddebcb6aa180edf440a16df282e50f3ee18168",
 "NodeInfo": "enode://1647ade9de728630faff2a69d81b2071eac873d776bfdf012b1b9e7e9ae1ea56328e79e34b24b496722412f4348b9aecaf2fd203fa56772a1a5dcdaa4a550147@0.0.0.0:30303?discport=0"
}
{
 "Address": "0xc20f68dfb6b3707ec2ee5b4c1f5ca9e10e560d7b",
 "Nodekey": "8cb0683ecdd533ba51e7802271652c73a37ac3daeb58db6f991d1dd77ae58d9d",
 "NodeInfo": "enode://0e6f7fff39188535b6084fa57fe0277d022a4beb988924bbb58087a43dd24f5feb78ca9d1cd880e26dd5162b8d331eeffee777386a4ab181528b3817fa39652c@0.0.0.0:30303?discport=0"
}
{
 "Address": "0x85ceceb205c67da0029d6852f0fc486b4324b5dc",
 "Nodekey": "6dc8c9e6163a55bbf512f690f0fc375e4bde313c3d9dbf5307033dfb50789920",
 "NodeInfo": "enode://d40a766cb6fe75f052fe21f61bc84ca3851abb6f999d73f97dd76e14fc2dea175d4cf554ccbcc2c7c639a0901932775b523554cb73facdfab08def975208f8e6@0.0.0.0:30303?discport=0"
}
{
 "Address": "0x608e7dfbbb6ebcc24fabeb67b3597b166b114142",
 "Nodekey": "78cb7974f759cd790d14923adc8614fdac204a31627dcb8b9337b1317b47ce7e",
 "NodeInfo": "enode://80a98f66d243c6604cda0e1c722eed3d9e080591c81710eec70794e0909e58661f4863e29a7a63bf7fb9387afc8609df37bacbf3d5c523d97bf598c3470840f5@0.0.0.0:30303?discport=0"
}
{
 "Address": "0xc5db99d2cd30fd3ab58fe2738a3513c6ccdb0d2b",
 "Nodekey": "dfdda5e2c8cedaa4468baaa46b619f5e227a7f07c4b6163edaf197991461490d",
 "NodeInfo": "enode://7fa183662285993efaf7a59e303ec5543bbcd09cb2883e7611d9576ed90f3bcf0400b70af11c5266e5110eebe8afd4e817437bde574d686f440df1ec85822add@0.0.0.0:30303?discport=0"
}

static-nodes.json
[
 "enode://1647ade9de728630faff2a69d81b2071eac873d776bfdf012b1b9e7e9ae1ea56328e79e34b24b496722412f4348b9aecaf2fd203fa56772a1a5dcdaa4a550147@0.0.0.0:30303?discport=0",
 "enode://0e6f7fff39188535b6084fa57fe0277d022a4beb988924bbb58087a43dd24f5feb78ca9d1cd880e26dd5162b8d331eeffee777386a4ab181528b3817fa39652c@0.0.0.0:30303?discport=0",
 "enode://d40a766cb6fe75f052fe21f61bc84ca3851abb6f999d73f97dd76e14fc2dea175d4cf554ccbcc2c7c639a0901932775b523554cb73facdfab08def975208f8e6@0.0.0.0:30303?discport=0",
 "enode://80a98f66d243c6604cda0e1c722eed3d9e080591c81710eec70794e0909e58661f4863e29a7a63bf7fb9387afc8609df37bacbf3d5c523d97bf598c3470840f5@0.0.0.0:30303?discport=0",
 "enode://7fa183662285993efaf7a59e303ec5543bbcd09cb2883e7611d9576ed90f3bcf0400b70af11c5266e5110eebe8afd4e817437bde574d686f440df1ec85822add@0.0.0.0:30303?discport=0"
]

genesis.json
{
    "config": {
        "chainId": 10,
        "homesteadBlock": 0,
        "eip150Block": 0,
        "eip150Hash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
        "eip155Block": 0,
        "eip158Block": 0,
        "byzantiumBlock": 0,
        "constantinopleBlock": 0,
        "istanbul": {
            "epoch": 30000,
            "policy": 0,
            "ceil2Nby3Block": 0
        },
        "txnSizeLimit": 64,
        "maxCodeSize": 0,
        "isQuorum": true
    },
    "nonce": "0x0",
    "timestamp": "0x5fc06d3d",
    "extraData": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000f8aff8699466f976d16c906b1b7e0e110d6950b109f146120f94c20f68dfb6b3707ec2ee5b4c1f5ca9e10e560d7b9485ceceb205c67da0029d6852f0fc486b4324b5dc94608e7dfbbb6ebcc24fabeb67b3597b166b11414294c5db99d2cd30fd3ab58fe2738a3513c6ccdb0d2bb8410000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000c0",
    "gasLimit": "0xe0000000",
    "difficulty": "0x1",
    "mixHash": "0x63746963616c2062797a616e74696e65206661756c7420746f6c6572616e6365",
    "coinbase": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
    "alloc": {
        "608e7dfbbb6ebcc24fabeb67b3597b166b114142": {
            "balance": "0x446c3b15f9926687d2c40534fdb564000000000000"
        },
        "66f976d16c906b1b7e0e110d6950b109f146120f": {
            "balance": "0x446c3b15f9926687d2c40534fdb564000000000000"
        },
        "85ceceb205c67da0029d6852f0fc486b4324b5dc": {
            "balance": "0x446c3b15f9926687d2c40534fdb564000000000000"
        },
        "c20f68dfb6b3707ec2ee5b4c1f5ca9e10e560d7b": {
            "balance": "0x446c3b15f9926687d2c40534fdb564000000000000"
        },
        "c5db99d2cd30fd3ab58fe2738a3513c6ccdb0d2b": {
            "balance": "0x446c3b15f9926687d2c40534fdb564000000000000"
        }
    },
    "number": "0x0",
    "gasUsed": "0x0",
    "parentHash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000"
}

Directory structure after generating keys and configuration files.

IBFT-Network/
├── 0
│   ├── nodekey
├── 1
│   ├── nodekey
├── 2
│   ├── nodekey
├── 3
│   ├── nodekey
├── 4
│   ├── nodekey
├── genesis.json
├── Node-0
│   ├── data
├── Node-1
│   ├── data
├── Node-2
│   ├── data
├── Node-3
│   ├── data
├── Node-4
│   ├── data
├── static-nodes.json

4. Update IP and port numbers

Update the IP and port numbers for all initial validator nodes in static-nodes.json.

Example

[
  "enode://1647ade9de728630faff2a69d81b2071eac873d776bfdf012b1b9e7e9ae1ea56328e79e34b24b496722412f4348b9aecaf2fd203fa56772a1a5dcdaa4a550147@127.0.0.1:30300?discport=0",
  "enode://0e6f7fff39188535b6084fa57fe0277d022a4beb988924bbb58087a43dd24f5feb78ca9d1cd880e26dd5162b8d331eeffee777386a4ab181528b3817fa39652c@127.0.0.1:30301?discport=0",
  "enode://d40a766cb6fe75f052fe21f61bc84ca3851abb6f999d73f97dd76e14fc2dea175d4cf554ccbcc2c7c639a0901932775b523554cb73facdfab08def975208f8e6@127.0.0.1:30302?discport=0",
  "enode://80a98f66d243c6604cda0e1c722eed3d9e080591c81710eec70794e0909e58661f4863e29a7a63bf7fb9387afc8609df37bacbf3d5c523d97bf598c3470840f5@127.0.0.1:30303?discport=0",
  "enode://7fa183662285993efaf7a59e303ec5543bbcd09cb2883e7611d9576ed90f3bcf0400b70af11c5266e5110eebe8afd4e817437bde574d686f440df1ec85822add@127.0.0.1:30304?discport=0"
]

5. Copy static nodes file and node keys to each node

Copy the static-nodes.json to the data directory for each node.

cp static-nodes.json Node-0/data/
cp static-nodes.json Node-1/data/
cp static-nodes.json Node-2/data/
cp static-nodes.json Node-3/data/
cp static-nodes.json Node-4/data/

Copy the nodekey file for each node to the data directory for each node.

cp 0/nodekey Node-0/data
cp 1/nodekey Node-1/data
cp 2/nodekey Node-2/data
cp 3/nodekey Node-3/data
cp 4/nodekey Node-4/data

6. Initialize nodes

In each node directory (that is, Node-0, Node-1, Node-2, Node-3, and Node-4), initalize each node.

geth --datadir data init ../genesis.json

7. Start node 0

In the Node-0 directory, start the first node.

PRIVATE_CONFIG=ignore geth --datadir data --nodiscover --istanbul.blockperiod 5 --syncmode full --mine --minerthreads 1 --verbosity 5 --networkid 10 --rpc --rpcaddr 127.0.0.1 --rpcport 22000 --rpcapi admin,db,eth,debug,miner,net,shh,txpool,personal,web3,quorum,istanbul --emitcheckpoints --port 30300

The PRIVATE_CONFIG environment variable starts GoQuorum without privacy enabled.

8. Start node 1, 2, 3, and 4

In new terminal for each node in each node directory, start the remaining nodes using the same command except specifying different ports for DevP2P and RPC.

Important

The DevP2P port numbers must match the port numbers in static-nodes.json.

Node 1

PRIVATE_CONFIG=ignore geth --datadir data --nodiscover --istanbul.blockperiod 5 --syncmode full --mine --minerthreads 1 --verbosity 5 --networkid 10 --rpc --rpcaddr 127.0.0.1 --rpcport 22001 --rpcapi admin,db,eth,debug,miner,net,shh,txpool,personal,web3,quorum,istanbul --emitcheckpoints --port 30301

Node 2

PRIVATE_CONFIG=ignore geth --datadir data --nodiscover --istanbul.blockperiod 5 --syncmode full --mine --minerthreads 1 --verbosity 5 --networkid 10 --rpc --rpcaddr 127.0.0.1 --rpcport 22002 --rpcapi admin,db,eth,debug,miner,net,shh,txpool,personal,web3,quorum,istanbul --emitcheckpoints --port 30302

Node 3

PRIVATE_CONFIG=ignore geth --datadir data --nodiscover --istanbul.blockperiod 5 --syncmode full --mine --minerthreads 1 --verbosity 5 --networkid 10 --rpc --rpcaddr 127.0.0.1 --rpcport 22003 --rpcapi admin,db,eth,debug,miner,net,shh,txpool,personal,web3,quorum,istanbul --emitcheckpoints --port 30303

Node 4

PRIVATE_CONFIG=ignore geth --datadir data --nodiscover --istanbul.blockperiod 5 --syncmode full --mine --minerthreads 1 --verbosity 5 --networkid 10 --rpc --rpcaddr 127.0.0.1 --rpcport 22004 --rpcapi admin,db,eth,debug,miner,net,shh,txpool,personal,web3,quorum,istanbul --emitcheckpoints --port 30304

7. Attach to node 0

In another terminal in the Node-0 directory, attach to node 0.

geth attach data/geth.ipc

Use the Istanbul getValidators command to view the validator addresses.

Command

istanbul.getValidators("latest")

Result

["0x608e7dfbbb6ebcc24fabeb67b3597b166b114142", "0x66f976d16c906b1b7e0e110d6950b109f146120f", "0x85ceceb205c67da0029d6852f0fc486b4324b5dc", "0xc20f68dfb6b3707ec2ee5b4c1f5ca9e10e560d7b", "0xc5db99d2cd30fd3ab58fe2738a3513c6ccdb0d2b"]

Next

Add and remove validators.