> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.morpheum.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Nodes & roles

> Choose a Morpheum node role—Validator, Full, Sentry, Archive, or AgentPortal—and follow deployment guides for each

## What is a node?

A **node** is the software you run to join the Morpheum network: it synchronizes state, participates in peer-to-peer networking, and—depending on role—may take part in consensus or serve public APIs. You pick a **role** when you first set up the machine; the role determines what the node is allowed to do, how it should be exposed on the network, and how much history it keeps.

This section is for **operators and integrators** who need to deploy and run nodes, not for low-level implementation details.

***

## Choosing a role

| Role            | Best for                                                               | Consensus | Typical network posture                           |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| **Validator**   | Securing the chain and executing the canonical state transition        | Yes       | Private peers only; do not expose public RPC here |
| **Full**        | Indexers, apps, and teams that need current chain state without voting | No        | Private or team-scoped access                     |
| **Sentry**      | Public RPC and WebSocket traffic in front of validators                | No        | Internet-facing; rate limits and DDoS protection  |
| **Archive**     | Analytics, explorers, and workflows that need deep history             | No        | Often API-oriented; large storage                 |
| **AgentPortal** | Low-latency AI and agent workloads against the network                 | No        | Tuned for agent traffic and portal features       |

Validators **execute** transactions and participate in consensus. All other roles **follow** the chain by applying committed updates produced elsewhere—they do not replace a validator for safety-critical execution.

**Public APIs** (RPC, WebSocket, JSON-RPC, agent portals) belong on **Sentry**, **Full**, **Archive**, or **AgentPortal** nodes as your policy allows—not on validators.

***

## Where to go next

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="DIY stack setup" icon="cpu" href="node/diy-stack-setup">
    Self-build, colocation, OS baseline, and networking before you deploy by role.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Cloud" icon="cloud" href="node/cloud">
    VPCs, instance classes, storage, and security patterns for cloud deployments.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Command-line interface" icon="terminal" href="node/cli">
    Initialize a data directory, run the node, snapshots, genesis helpers, and agent-related commands.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Deploy a validator" icon="shield-check" href="node/deploy-validator">
    Keys, private peering, and running a consensus node safely.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Deploy a full node" icon="server" href="node/deploy-full">
    Default-style node for operators and indexers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Deploy a sentry" icon="globe" href="node/deploy-sentry">
    Public gateway in front of validators.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Deploy an archive node" icon="database" href="node/deploy-archive">
    Long retention and historical queries.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Deploy an agent portal" icon="robot" href="node/deploy-agent-portal">
    AI- and agent-optimized deployment.
  </Card>
</Columns>