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FAQ - Infrastructure

This section answers the most common questions about the ISBE network infrastructure, node deployment, and use case operation.

Access and Connectivity​

How do I access the ISBE network?​

Through the RPC/WebSocket endpoint that ISBE will provide for your use case. There are two options:

  • Shared node: ISBE provides you with access to a regular node managed by the infrastructure team.
  • Own node: You can deploy your own regular node following the installation guide and requesting permissioning.

Do I need to deploy my own node or can I use a shared one?​

It depends on your needs:

  • Use a shared node if: your use case has moderate traffic, you don't require full control of the node, or you are in the testing phase.
  • Deploy your own node if: you generate high traffic, you need intensive real-time events, you require greater isolation, or you want dedicated monitoring.

See Node Types - When it is advisable to have your own regular node.

What ports do I need to open in my firewall?​

If you deploy your own regular node:

  • 30303/tcp (mandatory): P2P communication with the ISBE network.
  • 8545/tcp (optional): HTTP RPC (only if you need to expose it).
  • 8546/tcp (optional): WebSocket RPC (only if you need to expose it).

See full details in Requirements - Network.

My node shows 0 peers, what do I do?​

Verify the following:

  1. Port 30303/tcp is open: check firewall and security rules of your cloud provider.
  2. Correct public IP: the IP sent in the permissioning request must match the server's public IP.
  3. Permissioning approved: confirm with ISBE that your enode was correctly authorized.
  4. Node started correctly: check logs with docker logs -f <Node_Name>.

See Basic Indicators - Recommended actions.

Contract Deployment and Transactions​

Can I deploy smart contracts on the network?​

Yes, you can deploy contracts using any regular node (shared or own). The ISBE network is fully EVM compatible, so you can use standard tools such as:

  • Hardhat
  • Foundry
  • Truffle
  • Remix
  • Web3.js / Ethers.js

See Smart Contracts Documentation for more details.

Are there economic costs per transaction?​

No. ISBE is a permissioned network without an economic token. Gas is used solely as an execution control mechanism to avoid excessively heavy operations or infinite loops, but it has no economic cost.

See Network Parameters - Gas limit and transaction cost.

How many transactions per second can I send?​

It is recommended not to exceed 10-20 transactions per second from a single account without prior coordination with ISBE. If your use case requires higher throughput, contact the infrastructure team to evaluate options.

See Network Parameters - Operational limits.

How long does it take for a transaction to be confirmed?​

The block time is approximately 2 seconds. This means a transaction is typically confirmed in a block within that interval. For critical operations, waiting 2-3 blocks is recommended for greater security.

Environments and Configuration​

What is the difference between dev, pre, and pro?​

  • ISBE-DEV: Early development and testing. It can be restarted or have frequent changes.
  • ISBE-PRE: Pre-production. Production replica for final testing. Stable configuration.
  • ISBE-PRO: Production. Only for mature and validated use cases. Controlled changes with maintenance windows.

Each environment is an independent Besu network with its own Chain ID.

See General Architecture - Environments.

How do I know which Chain ID to use?​

Each environment has its own Chain ID. These values will be provided by ISBE when your access to the corresponding environment is activated. The correct Chain ID is necessary to:

  • Properly sign transactions.
  • Configure wallets (MetaMask, etc.).
  • Configure development frameworks (Hardhat, Foundry).

See Network Parameters - Chain ID.

Can I migrate contracts between environments?​

Contracts are not "migrated", they are redeployed in each environment. Each environment (dev/pre/pro) is an independent blockchain, so you must:

  1. Deploy the contract in the new environment.
  2. Update the contract addresses in your application.
  3. Re-verify the contract in Blockscout if necessary.

Monitoring and Troubleshooting​

How do I verify that my node is synchronized?​

Run the following RPC command:

curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}' \
  http://localhost:8545

Compare the result with the block height in Blockscout. If the numbers are similar (difference < 5 blocks), your node is synchronized.

See Basic Indicators.

Where can I see network transactions and blocks?​

Use the official Blockscout explorer. ISBE will provide the corresponding URL for your environment:

  • Blockscout DEV
  • Blockscout PRE
  • Blockscout PRO

See Blockscout Usage Guide.

Can I verify the source code of my contracts?​

Yes, Blockscout allows verifying the source code of deployed contracts. This facilitates:

  • Transparency and audits.
  • Direct interaction from the explorer.
  • Third-party validation.

The process depends on the environment. Consult ISBE if verification is enabled.

See Blockscout - Contract verification.

My transaction appears as "pending" for a long time, what's happening?​

Possible causes:

  • Insufficient gas limit: increase the transaction gas limit.
  • Incorrect nonce: verify you are using the correct nonce.
  • Out-of-sync node: verify your node's block height.
  • Network issue: check the block time in Blockscout.

If the problem persists for more than 1 minute, contact ISBE.

How do I access the monitoring panels?​

ISBE provides Grafana/Prometheus panels to visualize network and node metrics. Access is enabled per use case. Request credentials from the infrastructure team.

See Monitoring Panels.

Permissions and Security​

Who can join the ISBE network?​

ISBE is a permissioned network. Only the following can participate:

  • Validator nodes managed by ISBE.
  • Regular nodes from authorized entities that have completed the permissioning process.

Applications (dApps) can connect to regular nodes without restrictions, but the nodes themselves must be authorized.

See Permissioning Request.

How long does the permissioning process take?​

Normally between 1-3 business days, depending on:

  • Completeness of the information sent.
  • Necessary technical validations.
  • Infrastructure team workload.

Make sure to provide all the required information in the initial request to avoid delays.

What happens if I change my node's IP?​

You must notify ISBE immediately to update the permissioning list. If you change the IP without notifying:

  • Your node will not be able to connect to the P2P network.
  • It will show 0 peers.
  • Applications will lose connectivity.

The update process usually takes a few hours.

Can I have multiple nodes for the same use case?​

Yes, you can deploy several regular nodes if your use case requires it (e.g., for high availability or load balancing). Each node must:

  • Request independent permissioning.
  • Have its own enode and keys.
  • Meet hardware and network requirements.

Operation and Maintenance​

Who is responsible for my node's maintenance?​

It depends on the type of node:

  • Shared node managed by ISBE: full responsibility of ISBE.
  • Own node: responsibility of the use case (backups, updates, security, logs).

ISBE only manages permissioning and P2P topology, not the operation of nodes deployed by third parties.

Do I need to make backups of my node?​

Yes, if you operate your own regular node. It is recommended:

  • Data directory backup (data-path).
  • Node keys backup (keys/).
  • Periodic backups (daily or weekly depending on criticality).

However, regular nodes can resynchronize from scratch if you lose data, although it will take time.

Should I update Besu when a new version comes out?​

ISBE will notify when it is necessary to update the Besu version. Critical security updates are mandatory. For minor updates, ISBE will provide a recommended time window.

Nodes that do not update in time may lose compatibility with the network.

Can I stop my node temporarily?​

Yes, you can stop your regular node without problems. When you restart it, it will automatically resynchronize with the network. However:

  • Your application will lose connectivity while the node is stopped.
  • Resynchronization will take time (depends on how long it was stopped).

For scheduled maintenance, notify your users.

Support​

Who do I contact if I have problems?​

For infrastructure problems:

  • ISBE support email (provided in your onboarding).
  • Ticket system (if available).

For contract problems:

Is there a support schedule?​

Consult the conditions of your agreement with ISBE. Generally:

  • PRO Environment: support during business hours, critical incidents 24/7.
  • DEV/PRE Environments: support during business hours.

Where do I report incidents?​

Follow the procedure established by ISBE in your onboarding process. Generally it includes:

  • Incident email.
  • Ticket system.
  • Slack/Teams channel (if applicable).

Always provide:

  • Affected environment (dev/pre/pro).
  • Node name (if applicable).
  • Description of the problem.
  • Relevant logs.
  • Timestamp of the incident.

Do you not find an answer to your question? Consult the full infrastructure documentation or contact the ISBE support team.