XRP Node Deployment Guide

·

Deploying an XRP node gives developers and enterprises full control over their interaction with the XRP Ledger, enabling secure, reliable, and independent access to blockchain data and transaction capabilities. Whether you're building decentralized applications, managing enterprise wallets, or validating transactions, running your own rippled node is a foundational step. This comprehensive guide walks you through hardware requirements, installation steps, deployment modes, cluster configuration, and advanced settings—optimized for performance, security, and scalability.

Prerequisites for XRP Node Deployment

Before installing the rippled server software, ensure your system meets the recommended specifications. The XRP Ledger processes thousands of transactions per second, and node performance directly impacts reliability and responsiveness.

Recommended Hardware and Software Configuration

For optimal performance in production environments, use bare metal servers with the following baseline configuration:

💡 Ripple’s performance engineering team has found that bare metal servers deliver maximum throughput. While virtualized environments are supported, they may introduce latency and reduce performance due to hypervisor overhead.

SSD Storage Requirements

The rippled node performs frequent read/write operations. To maintain synchronization with the network:

Network Bandwidth Considerations

Storage Capacity Planning

RAM Memory Configuration

Memory usage depends on the node_size setting in rippled.cfg:

👉 Discover how blockchain infrastructure powers real-world financial solutions.

Installing the Rippled Service on Ubuntu

Follow these steps to install rippled on Ubuntu systems:

  1. Update package list and install dependencies

    sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install yum-utils alien

  2. Add Ripple’s official RPM repository

    sudo rpm -Uvh https://mirrors.ripple.com/ripple-repo-el7.rpm

  3. Download the rippled package

    yumdownloader --enablerepo=ripple-stable --releasever=el7 rippled

  4. Verify package integrity

    sudo rpm --import https://mirrors.ripple.com/rpm/RPM-GPG-KEY-ripple-release && rpm -K rippled*.rpm

  5. Install using alien (converts RPM to DEB)

    sudo alien -i --scripts rippled*.rpm && rm rippled*.rpm

  6. Enable auto-start at boot

    sudo systemctl enable rippled.service

  7. Start the node

    sudo systemctl start rippled.service

After startup, allow several minutes for the node to synchronize with the network. Once synced, it operates as a stock server, capable of submitting transactions and querying ledger data via API.

Updating Rippled on Ubuntu

To upgrade to the latest version:

sudo rpm -Uvh --replacepkgs https://mirrors.ripple.com/ripple-repo-el7.rpm
yumdownloader --enablerepo=ripple-stable --releasever=el7 rippled
rpm -K rippled*.rpm
sudo alien -i --scripts rippled*.rpm
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo service rippled restart

Running Rippled in Different Modes

The rippled service supports multiple operational modes tailored to specific use cases.

1. Stock Server Mode

A stock server follows the XRP Ledger network, maintains a local copy of the ledger, and provides API access.

When to Use This Mode

⚠️ Connecting to untrusted nodes risks exposure to false transaction confirmations, manipulated exchange paths, or secret key theft.

Running your own node ensures trustless access and avoids resource contention on shared infrastructure.

2. Validator Mode

Validators participate in consensus, helping secure the XRP Ledger by agreeing on transaction order and validity.

Steps to Become a Trusted Validator

  1. Enable validation on your rippled node
  2. Generate and securely store your validation key pair
  3. Share your public key with other validator operators
  4. Get added to their trusted validator lists (TVLs)

Only validators included in others’ TVLs influence consensus.

👉 Explore how decentralized validation strengthens blockchain integrity.

Ripple Cluster Server Setup

Clustering improves security and efficiency across multiple nodes.

Why Build a Cluster?
Deploying a Cluster
  1. Note each server’s IP address and peer port (default: 51235)
  2. Run rippled validation_create to generate unique seeds and public keys
  3. Edit rippled.cfg on each node:
[ips_fixed]
192.168.0.1 51235
192.168.0.2 51235

[node_seed]
ssZkdwURFMBXenJPbrpE14b6noJSu

[cluster_nodes]
n9McNsnzzXQPbg96PEUrrQ6z3wrvgtU4M7c97tncMpSoDzaQvPar keynes
n94UE1ukbq6pfZY9j54sv2A1UrEeHZXLbns3xK5CzU9NbNREytaa friedman
  1. Restart all nodes: systemctl restart rippled
  2. Verify cluster membership using rippled peers

Production Validator Security Setup

To protect your validator:

This architecture shields your validator from DDoS attacks while maintaining network participation.

Domain Verification for Validators

Establish trust by linking your validator to a registered domain:

  1. Retrieve your validator’s public key:

    $HOME/opt/ripple/bin/rippled server_info -q | grep pubkey_validator
  2. Sign the key with your domain’s SSL private key using OpenSSL
  3. Use Ripple’s validator-keys tool to generate a signed domain attestation
  4. Submit verification details via official Ripple forms

Verified domains appear in explorer tools, increasing community trust.

Test Network Setup

Use the XRP Testnet for development:

  1. Modify rippled.cfg:

    [ips]
r.altnet.rippletest.net 51235
  2. Comment out mainnet validator lists in validators.txt
  3. Restart the service and verify sync using server_info

Testnet XRP has no monetary value—ideal for safe experimentation.

Configuring Historical Block Data Storage

Enable History Sharding to store archival ledger data:

  1. Allocate dedicated SSD space (e.g., 50GB)

  2. Configure rippled.cfg:

    [shard_db]
type=NuDB
path=/var/lib/rippled/db/shards/nudb
max_size_gb=50
  3. Restart rippled
  4. Wait for automatic shard downloads
🔔 Ripple recommends storing history on a separate node—not on validators—to minimize load.

Enabling Public Signing (Use with Caution)

Public signing allows external clients to sign transactions via your node.

Methods enabled:

Activation Steps

  1. Edit rippled.cfg:

    [signing_support]
true
  2. Restart the service
❌ Ripple strongly advises against enabling public signing in production. Untrusted access can lead to key exposure and fund loss.

Standalone Mode for Development and Testing

Run rippled in isolation for debugging:

rippled -a --start --conf=/path/to/rippled.cfg

Use cases:

You can start from:

Manually advance ledgers using ledger_accept.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What are the core keywords for XRP node deployment?
A: Key terms include XRP node, rippled installation, validator setup, ledger synchronization, NuDB storage, Ripple cluster, standalone mode, and history sharding.

Q: Can I run a validator on a VPS?
A: Technically yes, but bare metal is recommended for stability and performance during consensus rounds.

Q: How long does initial sync take?
A: Depending on hardware and bandwidth, initial synchronization can take 6–24 hours.

Q: Is public signing safe?
A: No—only enable it in isolated test environments. Always prefer client-side signing in production.

Q: Should I store historical shards on my validator?
A: No—Ripple recommends running a separate node for archival storage to reduce validator load.

Q: How do I check if my node is synced?
A: Use rippled server_info and look for "server_state": "full" or "validating".

Command Line Reference

Available Modes

Common Options

For full details, refer to Ripple’s official CLI documentation.

👉 Learn how secure blockchain nodes support next-generation finance platforms.