> ## 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.

# Deploy an archive node

> Set up a Morpheum archive node for long retention, historical queries, and data-heavy workloads

## Who this is for

Teams that need **full or deep history**: block explorers, research, compliance exports, analytics over old state, or replay from early heights. Archive nodes prioritize **retention** over minimal disk use.

***

## Before you start

* **Storage:** Plan for **large disks** and growth over time. Archive nodes are not a fit for small volumes.
* **Performance:** Historical queries can be heavy; allocate enough RAM and fast storage for your query patterns (and consider separating query load from sync when possible).
* **Role:** This node still **follows** the network; it does not replace a **validator** for consensus.

***

## Initialize the node

1. Install the Morpheum CLI.
2. Run **init** with role **archive**, set **data directory** on volumes sized for long-term retention, plus **moniker** and **chain ID**.

Generated defaults typically **reduce or disable aggressive pruning** so historical data remains available—confirm in your configuration after init.

***

## Configuration

Verify:

* **Pruning / retention** — Matches your compliance or product requirement for how far back queries must go.
* **RPC** — Often used for data APIs; secure and rate-limit public exposure.
* **Peers** — Stable connectivity so sync stays current despite large state.

***

## Run the node

Start with **run** (non-validator). Initial sync may take **much longer** than a pruned full node; monitor progress and disk.

Schedule **backups** of the data directory according to your RPO/RTO; archive datasets are expensive to re-sync from scratch.

***

## When a full node is enough

If you only need **recent** state and can tolerate pruned history, a [full node](/node/deploy-full) may be cheaper to operate.

***

## Related

* [Node CLI](/node/cli)
* [Nodes & roles overview](/node/index)