aitbc/docs/blockchain/6_networking.md

Networking Configuration

Configure P2P networking for your blockchain node.

Network Settings

Firewall Configuration

# Allow P2P port
sudo ufw allow 8001/tcp

# Allow RPC port
sudo ufw allow 8006/tcp

# Allow Marketplace port
sudo ufw allow 8007/tcp

# Allow Exchange port
sudo ufw allow 8008/tcp

# Allow from specific IPs
sudo ufw allow from 10.0.0.0/8 to any port 8006

Port Forwarding

If behind a NAT, configure port forwarding:

• External port 8001 → Internal IP:8001
• External port 8006 → Internal IP:8006
• External port 8007 → Internal IP:8007 (Marketplace)
• External port 8008 → Internal IP:8008 (Exchange)

Federated Mesh Architecture

AITBC supports a federated mesh network architecture with independent mesh islands, node hubs, and optional island bridging.

Overview

• Islands: Independent P2P networks with UUID-based IDs and separate blockchains
• Hubs: Any node can volunteer as a hub to provide peer lists
• Multi-Chain: Nodes can run parallel bilateral/micro-chains
• Bridging: Optional connections between islands (requires mutual approval)

Island Configuration

Configure your node's island membership in /etc/aitbc/.env:

# Island Configuration
ISLAND_ID=550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
ISLAND_NAME=default
IS_HUB=false
ISLAND_CHAIN_ID=ait-island-default
HUB_DISCOVERY_URL=hub.aitbc.bubuit.net
BRIDGE_ISLANDS=

Configuration Fields:

• ISLAND_ID: UUID-based island identifier (auto-generated if not set)
• ISLAND_NAME: Human-readable island name
• IS_HUB: Set to true if this node acts as a hub
• ISLAND_CHAIN_ID: Separate chain ID for this island
• HUB_DISCOVERY_URL: DNS endpoint for hub discovery
• BRIDGE_ISLANDS: Comma-separated list of islands to bridge (optional)

Creating a New Island

aitbc node island create --island-name "eu-west" --chain-id "ait-island-eu-west"

This generates a new UUID for the island and sets up a separate blockchain.

Joining an Existing Island

aitbc node island join <island-id> <island-name> <chain-id> [--is-hub]

Hub Registration

Any node can register as a hub to provide peer lists:

aitbc node hub register --public-address <public-ip> --public-port 7070

To unregister as a hub:

aitbc node hub unregister

Island Bridging

Bridging allows optional connections between islands (requires mutual approval):

# Request bridge to another island
aitbc node bridge request <target-island-id>

# Approve a bridge request
aitbc node bridge approve <request-id> <approving-node-id>

# Reject a bridge request
aitbc node bridge reject <request-id> --reason "<reason>"

# List active bridges
aitbc node bridge list

Multi-Chain Support

Nodes can run parallel bilateral/micro-chains alongside the default chain:

# Start a new parallel chain
aitbc node chain start <chain-id> --chain-type micro

# Stop a parallel chain
aitbc node chain stop <chain-id>

# List active chains
aitbc node chain list

Chain types:

• bilateral: Chain between two parties
• micro: Small chain for specific use case

Bootstrap Nodes

Default Bootstrap Nodes

p2p:
  bootstrap_nodes:
    - /dns4/node-1.aitbc.com/tcp/7070/p2p/12D3KooW...
    - /dns4/node-2.aitbc.com/tcp/7070/p2p/12D3KooW...
    - /dns4/node-3.aitbc.com/tcp/7070/p2p/12D3KooW...

Adding Custom Bootstrap Nodes

aitbc-chain p2p add-bootstrap /dns4/my-node.example.com/tcp/7070/p2p/...

Peer Management

Connection Limits

p2p:
  max_peers: 50
  min_peers: 5
  outbound_peers: 10
  inbound_peers: 40

Peer Scoring

Nodes are scored based on:

• Latency
• Availability
• Protocol compliance
• Block propagation speed

NAT Traversal

Supported Methods

Method	Description
STUN	Public IP discovery via STUN servers
AutoNAT	Automatic NAT detection
Hole Punching	UDP hole punching (future)
Relay	TURN relay fallback (future)

Configuration

# STUN Servers (comma-separated)
STUN_SERVERS=stun.l.google.com:19302,jitsi.bubuit.net:3478

# TURN Server (future)
TURN_SERVER=jitsi.bubuit.net:3478

STUN Discovery

Nodes automatically discover their public endpoint via STUN servers configured in the environment. This enables nodes behind NAT to participate in the mesh network.

Troubleshooting

Check Connectivity

aitbc-chain p2p check-connectivity

List Active Connections

aitbc-chain p2p connections

List Known Islands

aitbc node island list

List Known Hubs

aitbc node hub list

Debug Mode

aitbc-chain start --log-level debug

DNS Configuration for Hub Discovery

Add A records for hub discovery:

# hub.aitbc.bubuit.net
hub1.aitbc.bubuit.net A 10.1.1.1
hub2.aitbc.bubuit.net A 10.1.1.2
hub3.aitbc.bubuit.net A 10.1.1.3

Next

• Quick Start — Get started
• Configuration - Configure your node
• Operations — Day-to-day ops
• Multi-Chain Architecture - Multi-chain management