Need help setting up a dev/test Corda Network with docker

Question

I want to set up an environment where I have several VMs, representing several partners, and where each VM host one or more nodes. Ideally, I would use kubernetes to bring up/down my environment. I have understood from the docs that this has to be done as a Dev-network, not as my own compatibility zone or anything.

However, the steps to follow are not clear (to me). I have used Dockerform or the docker image provided, but this does not seem to be the way for what i need to do.

My current (it changes with the hours) understanding is that: a) I should create a network between the vms that will be hosting nodes. To do so, i understand i should use Cordite or the Bootstrap jar. Cordite documentation seems clearer that the Corda docs, but i haven't been able to try it yet. Should one or the other be my first step? Can anyone shed some light on how?

b) Once I have my network created I need a certifying entity (Thanks @Chris_Chabot for pointing it out!)

c) The next step should be running deployNodes so I create the config files. Here, I am not sure of whether I can indicate in deployNodes at which IPs? should the nodes be created or I just need to create the dockerfiles and certificate folders and so on, and distribute across the VMs them accordingly. I am not sure either about how to point out to the Network service.

Personally, I guess that I will not use the Dockerfiles if I am going to use Kubernetes and that I only need to distribute the certificates and config files to all the slave VMs so they are available to the nodes when they are to be launched.

To be clear, and honest :D, this is even before including any cordapp in the containers, I am just trying to have the environment ready. Basically, starting a process that builds the nodes, distribute the config files among the slave vms, and runs the dockers with the nodes. As explained in a comment, the goal here is not testing Cordapps, is testing how to deploy an operative distributed dev environment.

ANY help is going to be ABSOLUTELY welcome.

Thanks!

Answer 1

(Developer Relations @ R3 here)

A network of Corda nodes needs three things: - A notary node, or a pool of multiple notary nodes - A certification manager - A network map service

The certification manager is the root of the trust in the network, and, well, manages certificates. These need to be distributed to the nodes to declare and prove their identity.

The nodes connect to the network map service, which checks their certificate to see if they have access to the network, and if so, add them to the list of nodes that it manages -- and distributes this list of node identities + ip addresses to all the nodes on that network.

Finally the nodes use the notaries to sign the transactions that happen on the network.

Generally we find that most people start developing on the https://testnet.corda.network/ network, and later deploy to the production corda.network.

One benefit of that is that this already comes with all these pieces (certification manager, network map, and a geographically distributed pool of notaries). The other benefit is that it guarantees that you have interoperability with other parties in the future, as everyone uses the same root certificate authority -- With your own network other 3rd parties couldn't just connect as they'd be on a different cert chain and couldn't be validated.

If however you have a strong reason to want to build your own network, you can use Cordite to provide the network map and certman services.

In that case step 1 is to go through the setup and configuration instructions on https://gitlab.com/cordite/network-map-service

Once that is fully setup and up and running, https://docs.corda.net/permissioning.html has some more information on how the certificates are setup, and the "Joining an existing Compatibility Zone" section in https://docs.corda.net/docker-image.html has instructions on how to get a Corda docker image / node to join that network by specifying which network map / certman url's to use.

Oh and on the IP network question: The network manager stores a combination of the X509 identity and the IP address for each node which it distributes to the network -- this means that every node, including the notaries, certman, network map and all nodes need to be able to connect to that IP address -- either by all being on the same network that you created, or by having public ip addresses