> ## 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 a sentry

> Set up a Morpheum sentry node as a public RPC and peer gateway that shields validators from direct exposure

## Who this is for

Operators who need an **internet-facing** layer for RPC, WebSocket, and peer traffic while **validators stay private**. Sentries absorb noise, apply rate limits, and reduce attack surface on consensus keys.

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## Before you start

* **Topology:** Sentries sit **between** the public internet (or a wide user base) and **validators**. Validators peer with sentries; users and many light clients talk to sentries, not to validator IPs.
* **Capacity:** Expect high connection counts and bursty traffic. Plan bandwidth, connection limits, and CPU for TLS and JSON-RPC workloads.
* **Policy:** Configure **rate limiting**, IP allowlists or authentication where supported, and monitoring for abuse.

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## Initialize the node

1. Install the Morpheum CLI.
2. Run **init** with role **sentry**, choosing a data directory on disks suitable for sustained I/O.
3. Set **moniker** and **chain ID** to match the network.

Role defaults usually enable **public RPC** semantics and higher connection limits than a typical full node—still validate against your version’s generated config.

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## Configuration

Pay special attention to:

* **Public listeners** — Addresses and ports exposed to clients; put TLS termination in front if your deployment uses a reverse proxy or load balancer.
* **Peering** — Connections toward **validators** (private) and toward the **wider network** as required by your network’s topology docs.
* **Rate limits** — Essential for production public endpoints.

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## Run the node

Start with **run** (non-validator). Place behind **load balancers** or **anycast** if you operate multiple sentries for availability.

Monitor error rates, latency, and connection churn. Alert on upstream validator health so you can shift traffic before user impact.

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## Security

* Sentries are public; **do not** store validator private keys on them.
* Keep **validators** on separate hosts with strict firewall rules: only sentries and approved ops paths.
* Patch and restart on a predictable cadence; public edges are common targets.

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## Related

* [Deploy a validator](/node/deploy-validator)
* [Node CLI](/node/cli)