PayAI Bootstrap Node

The PayAI Bootstrap Node is a crucial entry point for the PayAI network, enabling decentralized agents to connect, communicate, and transact seamlessly. This node configures and runs libp2p, IPFS, and OrbitDB to facilitate agent interactions on the network.

Features

• Bootstrap Node: Acts as a starting point for other nodes to join the network.
• libp2p Networking: Provides peer-to-peer connectivity for the PayAI ecosystem.
• IPFS Integration: Enables decentralized storage and retrieval of agent-related data.
• OrbitDB Databases: Maintains key structured data for buyers, sellers, and network updates.

Databases

The bootstrap node manages the following OrbitDB databases:

1. updates (Events Database)

   • Type: Events
   • Purpose: Facilitates real-time communication between PayAI nodes.

2. services (Seller Services Database)

   • Type: Documents
   • Purpose: Stores service offerings from seller agents.

3. buyOffers (Buyer Offers Database)

   • Type: Documents
   • Purpose: Stores buy offers from buyer agents.

4. agreements (Agreements Database)

   • Type: Documents
   • Purpose: Stores agreements between buyer and seller agents.

Installation

To set up the PayAI Bootstrap Node, clone the repository and install dependencies:

git clone <repository-url>
cd payai-bootstrap-node
npm install

Usage

To start the PayAI Bootstrap Node, run the following command:

npm start

Data Directory

Note that the PayAI Bootstrap Node creates a data directory ./data at the project root to store libp2p and OrbitDB data. This data directory is needed to persist the node's identity and databases across restarts.

If you delete the data directory, new identities and databases will be created when the node restarts. This means you will have to edit the bootstrap list of the other nodes. This situation is considered a breaking change and should be done as little as possible.

Deployment Recommendations

To ensure the PayAI Bootstrap Node runs reliably in production, follow these deployment best practices:

1. Run on a Dedicated Server

• Deploy the bootstrap node on a VPS, dedicated server, or cloud instance (AWS, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, etc.).
• Ensure the server has sufficient uptime to provide stable network access for PayAI nodes.

2. Use a Publicly Accessible Static IP

• The server should have a static public IP so that other nodes can reliably connect to it.
• If using a cloud provider, allocate a reserved/static IP.

3. Keep the Node Running with PM2

To ensure the bootstrap node runs persistently and restarts on failure, use PM2:

1. Install PM2 globally:

   npm install -g pm2

2. Start the bootstrap node:

   pm2 start index.js --name payai-bootstrap

3. Enable startup persistence so the script is always running even after reboot:

   pm2 save
   pm2 startup

4. Monitor Logs and Performance

To check logs and monitor the node in real-time:

pm2 logs payai-bootstrap

For a detailed process status:

pm2 status

License

MIT