Add network and nodes
Guide to adding a Blockchain Network to your application
Summary
To build a blockchain application, the first step is setting up a blockchain network with the correct number of validating and non-validating nodes. You can either deploy a permissioned network such as Hyperledger Besu or GoQuorum, or connect to an L1 or L2 Public Network like Ethereum, Polygon PoS, Hedera, Polygon zkEVM, Avalanche, Arbitrum, or Optimism. Both mainnet and testnet versions are available for public networks.
When creating an application on SettleMint, you will be prompted to select a network and assign it a name. By default, a first validating node is deployed along with the network, and you must assign a name to it as well. You may optionally provide an EC DSA P256 private key to use as custom key material for the node identity. If no key is provided, SettleMint will generate one automatically and save it in your private keys.
In SettleMint-managed (SaaS) mode, you will need to choose between a shared or dedicated cluster for deployment. You can also select a cloud provider and a data center of your choice. Additionally, you will have the option to select from small, medium, or large resource packs, which can be scaled up or down later as needed.
Before deploying the network, you will have the option to configure network settings and customize the genesis file. For most use cases, it is recommended to keep the default settings. Once configured, you can proceed with deployment. After a few minutes, your network manager and first node will be fully operational.
To enhance reliability, you should add more nodes to your network for fault tolerance. The best practice is to deploy four validator nodes and two non-validator nodes. Once the nodes are set up, adding a load balancer will help distribute network traffic efficiently and improve performance.
Once your network, nodes, and load balancer are running, you can access the Insights tab to integrate monitoring tools. For permissioned networks, you can add Blockscout Blockchain Explorer to track transactions and network activity. If you are using public EVM networks, publicly available blockchain explorers can be used instead.
Prerequisites
Before setting up a blockchain network, you need to have an application created in your workspace. Applications provide the organizational context for all your blockchain resources including networks, nodes, and development tools. If you haven't created an application yet, follow our Create Application guide first.
1. Add blockchain network
For EVM Chains, SettleMint offers Hyperledger Besu and Quorum for permissioned networks and a bunch of public networks to choose from. For the list of supported networks please refer - Supported Networks
When we deploy a network, first node is automatically deployed with it and is an orderer node. Once you have deployed a permissioned network or joined a public network, you can add more nodes to it.
2. Add blockchain nodes
To see and add nodes, please click on Blockchain Nodes tile on the dashboard or use the Blockchain Nodes link in the left menu.
To bootstrap a functional and fault-tolerant Hyperledger Fabric network, certain minimum infrastructure elements are needed. These include peer nodes for each organization and orderer nodes for the consensus layer. While development or test networks can run on minimal nodes, production networks typically enforce fault-tolerant configurations using Raft consensus and multiple organizations.
Minimum recommended node setup for fabric
| Component | Minimum Nodes | Recommended Setup | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer Nodes | 1 per org | 2+ per org | At least one anchor peer is needed per org; more for load balancing. |
| Orderer Nodes | 3 (Raft) | 5 (odd number preferred) | Raft requires a quorum (>50%) for consensus; use odd numbers. |
| Organizations | 2 | 3+ | More orgs simulate decentralized governance and endorsement policies. |
| Certificate Authorities | 1 per org | 1 per org + TLS CA | Separate TLS and root CA improves security isolation. |
- Peer Nodes: A network with a single organization and one peer node is technically valid but does not reflect real consortium setups. For endorsement policies and distributed state replication, at least two orgs with peers are recommended.
- Orderers with Raft: Raft ordering service requires at least 3 nodes for high availability. Using 5 nodes allows for one node to go down without losing quorum.
- CA Services: Each org should operate its own CA for identity issuance. TLS CAs are often split for better separation of concerns.
Users can configure the following settings before deploying a Fabric
network:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Endorsement Policy | Defines transaction endorsement requirements ("By all peers" or "By majority of peers"). |
| Batch Timeout | Time before transactions are grouped into a block. |
| Max Messages in Batch | Maximum number of messages in a batch. |
| Absolute Max Bytes in Batch | Upper limit on batch size in megabytes (MB). |
| Preferred Max Bytes in Batch | Preferred batch size in megabytes (MB). |
Channel configuration and policies
Hyperledger Fabric networks use a configtx.json file to define network
channels, membership rules, and policies. Key components include:
- Application Group: Defines policies for participating organizations,
specifying details such as:
- Organization Name
- Policies:
- Admin: Roles allow users to modify configurations.
- Endorsement: Policies require transaction approvals from specific peers.
- Readers and Writers: Policies define access to channel data.
- Orderer Group: Configures the ordering service responsible for transaction
finalization. Settings include:
- Batch Timeout: Determines the time before transactions are grouped into a block.
- Max Messages Per Batch: Controls block size.
- Consensus Type: Typically
etcdraft, a Raft-based ordering service.
Network governance and security
Hyperledger Fabric networks require robust security and governance mechanisms:
- Membership Service Provider (MSP): Controls identity verification and authentication, ensuring only authorized participants can access the network.
- Root Certificates and TLS Certificates: Define trusted entities for secure communication.
- Endorsement Policies: Determine how transactions are validated across organizations, enforcing compliance and preventing unauthorized modifications.
- Block Validation Policies: Ensure the integrity and security of the distributed ledger, maintaining network trustworthiness.
Hyperledger fabric networks
The dashboard offers comprehensive network monitoring, including:
- Network Overview: Name, deployment location, creation date, blockchain version, protocol type, channel ID, MSP ID.
- Channel Configuration JSON File Access.
- Batch Processing Settings:
- Timeout
- Maximum messages
- Batch size
Real-time performance monitoring
- Number and location of nodes.
- Active consensus nodes and cluster size.
- Latest block committed.
- Real-time transaction monitoring, allowing users to keep track of all blockchain activities.
- Health status of orderer and peer nodes.
- Performance analytics, including block generation times, to help organizations optimize their blockchain operations.
- Endorsement policy compliance tracking to ensure transactions adhere to predefined security and governance policies.
System recommendations
Recommendation
Alerts for fault tolerance and orderer node requirements are provided in the system.
Key benefits
- Simplifies the deployment process for Hyperledger Fabric networks through a guided setup approach.
- Efficiently configures access control, consensus models, and governance settings, ensuring a seamless blockchain deployment experience.
- Designed for scalability, supporting multi-organization setups with secure identity management.
- Integrated monitoring provides organizations with real-time insights into network performance and compliance adherence.
Hyperledger fabric explorer
Hyperledger Explorer is a web-based tool designed to provide a comprehensive and real-time view of blockchain operations within Hyperledger Fabric networks. It enables users to monitor and analyze blockchain activities, including blocks, transactions, and chaincodes, while maintaining privacy and security. With its feature-rich dashboard, Hyperledger Explorer allows users to navigate through blocks, transactions, peers, and channels with ease. The tool provides advanced search and filtering capabilities, real-time notifications for new blocks, and interactive metrics for visualizing blockchain trends. By offering deep insights into ledger data and enabling efficient network management, Hyperledger Explorer becomes an essential solution for organizations leveraging Hyperledger Fabric.
- Real-time Monitoring: Displays network activity as it happens, providing immediate visibility into new blocks and transactions.
- Comprehensive Dashboard: A central hub for monitoring network health, including metrics such as the number of blocks, transactions, nodes, and chaincodes.
- Detailed Block & Transaction Views:
- Block list with metadata such as block hash, transaction count, and timestamps.
- Transaction explorer for tracking transaction details, types, and associated metadata.
- Search & Filtering:
- Filter transactions and blocks by date range, channel, or organization.
- Advanced sorting capabilities for customized data views.
- Channel & Chaincode Management:
- View and manage available channels.
- Display installed chaincodes with versioning details.
- Interactive Metrics & Analytics:
- Graphical visualizations of blockchain activity.
- Hover-based insights for precise data analysis.
Dashboard overview
The Dashboard serves as the main interface, providing an overview of the blockchain network. It includes various panels such as Peer Lists, Network Metrics, and Recent Transactions by Organization. Users can dynamically switch channels via a dropdown to customize their view. Additionally, a Latest Blocks Notification Panel presents key block details, including:
- Block number
- Channel name
- Data hash
- Transaction count
Each block link redirects to an in-depth Block Details view, offering insights into timestamps, hashes, and transaction summaries.
Network & channel management
The Network View presents details on configured properties for each channel. Users can analyze peer statuses, their roles, and network configurations, including ledger height and Membership Service Provider (MSP) identity.
The Channel List section provides an overview of available channels, enabling users to navigate different segments of the blockchain network effortlessly.
Exploring blocks & transactions
Hyperledger Explorer provides powerful tools for tracking blockchain activities:
- Block List: A sortable, filterable table displaying block metadata like block hash, transaction count, and creation timestamps.
- Transaction List: Supports up to 100 rows per page with pagination and allows users to drill down into transaction specifics.
- JSON Transaction Views: Enables structured previews with fold/unfold options for easy data inspection.
Chaincodes & smart contracts
The Chaincode List presents installed chaincodes across the network, allowing filtering and sorting by:
- Chaincode name
- Version
- Deployment status
- Associated transactions
This section helps users manage smart contracts efficiently and track changes over time.
Analytics & metrics
A dedicated Metrics Panel delivers real-time statistics, such as:
- Number of blocks and transactions processed per hour or minute
- Network activity trends over time
- Interactive charts for monitoring blockchain operations
These visual analytics tools enhance user insights and ensure efficient blockchain monitoring.
Congratulations.!!
You have succesfully built the blockchain infrastructure layer for you application.
From here you can proceed for sevelopment and deploymnet of chaincodes.