Understand Cartesi nodes

If you have a general understanding of blockchain technology, you know that nodes are a fundamental part of any network. Cartesi is no exception. However, in the Cartesi Rollups architecture, nodes have a special role as decentralized middleware that supports the work of the Cartesi Virtual Machine (CVM), and CVM runs on top of these nodes.

Let’s dive into Cartesi nodes – note that this is different from Noether for CTSI staking – and look at what they do, how they work, and how to set one up.

What are Cartesi Nodes?

The Cartesi whitepaper defines a Cartesi node as follows:

"Cartesi nodes are the software and hardware infrastructure that hosts the off-chain components of Cartesi dApps. Each user who wishes to interact with a Cartesi dApp must have a Cartesi node available. ”

(*Note: The exact background for these nodes is a tool called Cartesi Compute, but the same applies to Cartesi Rollups.) ）

In other words, a Cartesi node is a network of individual computers that run CVM and host Cartesi dApps. They are very similar to nodes on other blockchains, but the difference is that they operate in the context of a Rollup solution like Cartesi Rollups. This is where we begin to see the nuances around them.

A step-by-step look at the operation of Cartesi Rollups will help us break down the process. To support dApps running on CVM, Cartesi Rollups need to do the following:

1. Read information from the main chain (e.g. ETH Fang).
2. Send that information to an off-chain machine, i.e., CVM, where it is processed.
3. Publish the processing results back to the main chain.

In order to perform these operations, they need nodes that can interact with on-chain smart contracts and off-chain virtual machines. Cartesi nodes are precisely this kind of “middleman” responsible for communicating between the two — albeit in a secure and decentralized way.

The type of Cartesi node

In order to play this “middleman” role in Cartesi Rollups, the responsibilities of the Cartesi node must be twofold. They need to read the information and verify the information. As a result, a Cartesi node can be:

• User or Read Nodes (Read-Only): These nodes are responsible for retrieving information from the main chain and making it publicly available for use by CVM — they do not publish the information back to the main chain. Read nodes can be run by regular users.
• Validator nodes (read and write): These nodes are responsible for verifying new information and publishing it to the main chain, just like regular nodes in the L1 network. In this case, they are responsible for verifying changes made to the on-chain information while the CVM is off-chain. Validators are also responsible for protecting the network from dishonest parties in the event of a dispute over on-chain information. These additional responsibilities require validators to operate in a secure environment and be inaccessible to users.

Currently, Cartesi nodes typically operate as validators capable of performing both reads and writes. The read node is currently being developed by the Cartesi team.

How does a Cartesi node work?

Looking at some of the key concepts behind Cartesi node operations will give us a high-level understanding of how they fulfill their responsibilities. This will also familiarize us with the types of terminology that come up when running a dApp on a CVM that uses a Cartesi node.

We can think of these concepts as inputs that a Cartesi node takes from the main chain and forwards to the CVM, or as an output for it to put it back into the main chain as a “claim”.

Input

Portals: Interactions with Cartesi nodes typically start with portals. This is a way to pass on-chain information to off-chain CVM. Nodes use portals to move assets from the main chain into the dApps they run. Once in a dApp, these assets can be transferred and moved using the typical software logic commonly found in Linux operating systems.

(Note: There are also application-specific inputs that come directly from the user and do not go through the portal.) These inputs are not tied to any asset. ）

Output

Period: After CVM processes the information from the blockchain, the Cartesi validator batches these operations and publishes them back to the main chain. These changes are then reported to the main chain in the form of credentials or notifications. The frequency of these batches is known as epochs.

• Credentials: We can think of credentials as tickets that contain information about what kind of transactions should occur on the main chain after the results returned by CVM. They contain instructions that can cover everything from payments to DeFi protocols to requesting withdrawals of funds.
• Notifications: Similar to credentials, notifications also contain information that is passed to the main chain. The difference between credentials and notifications is that notifications are purely for informational purposes – they don’t make changes on the main chain. This means that notifications do not initiate transactions like fund deposits or withdrawals.

*MISC (Other)

Report: The Cartesi node is then responsible for another different type of operation. Reports are often used as logging or diagnostic tools for dApps running on CVM. They are often used to track application bugs and other information, but they do not have any on-chain effect.

The operation of the Cartesi node

Cartesi nodes already run many dApps in the Cartesi ecosystem. Each of these takes advantage of the Cartesi node in the manner described above. You can explore how this mechanism of passing information from off-chain to on-chain is implemented in gaming, DeFi, and AI use cases through Cartesi Rollups and CVM.

In fact, if you have a dApp idea that leverages Cartesi technology, chances are you’ll set up a Cartesi node for yourself. The process of running one locally is very simple and is explained in detail here.

Test your knowledge and earn community points by taking the Grokking Cartesi node quiz on the Cartesi Adventure Board.

Learn more about Cartesi by reading the documentation. You can also stay up-to-date on everything happening in the Cartesi ecosystem by joining the community.

About Cartesi:

Cartesi is an application-specific rollup protocol with virtual machines running Linux distributions, creating a richer and broader design space for DApp developers.

Cartesi Rollups offer a modular scaling solution that can be deployed as L2, L3, or sovereign rollups while maintaining strong base layer security guarantees.

Disclaimer of Warranties

This article is for general information and information sharing purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial or investment advice. The accuracy and completeness of this information is not guaranteed and should not be construed as advice for a particular situation. Readers should conduct their own independent research and consultation in order to make any decision. The author and related authorities shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from reliance on this information. Before making any financial or investment decisions, it is highly recommended to consult a professional for personalized advice.

Virtual currency is a high-risk investment product, please consult the relevant regulatory authorities before making an investment decision, whether there is a risk of investment loss.

Source: Golden Finance