Commercial Node
Welcome to the Commercial Storage Node Operator Program documentation. This program is designed to facilitate the participation of node operators in data centers and enterprise-grade facilities within the Storj network, ensuring that their nodes meet specific certifications and characteristics. This guide will provide information about the program's purpose, eligibility, advantages, and how it differs from the public network.
Why We Started the Program
The Commercial Storage Node Operator Program was initiated to address the needs of large enterprise customers who require data storage facilities with specific security and compliance certifications such as SOC2 or ISO 27001. These customers are attracted to the Storj network's price, performance, and security but are constrained by their internal security controls from using the public network. To accommodate these requirements, we developed product capabilities that restrict the distribution of data to subsets of nodes operating in facilities that meet these enterprise demands.
What is the Commercial Storage Node Operator Program?
The Commercial Storage Node Operator Program is a way for node operators in data centers and enterprise-grade facilities to participate in the Storj network and certify that their nodes meet specific requirements. It also offers these operators the opportunity to earn revenue at a scale that is economically viable for them while sharing large volumes of underutilized storage and bandwidth capacity.
Who is Eligible
The Commercial Storage Node Operator Program is open to:
- Operators in enterprise-grade facilities, typically with one or more compliance-oriented certifications.
- Operators with substantial underutilized storage capacity.
- Operators with fully depreciated operational hardware that is in storage or offline.
- Operators with access to low-cost storage hardware.
Advantages of the Program
This program provides several benefits to the Storj network, including:
- Attracting enterprise customers that would otherwise be inaccessible due to the limitations of the public network.
- Enabling data center and commercial facility operators to participate economically, increasing the network's storage capacity without introducing concentration risk.
- Facilitating smaller operators in winning more data storage opportunities when large professional operators are not competing directly on the same network.
- Supporting the growth of Storj use cases by serving the needs of enterprise customers with diverse storage requirements.
How Does it Compare to the Public Network
The Commercial Storage Node Operator Program differs from the public network in several ways:
- Commercial node operators face different terms of service and node selection criteria, especially regarding the /24 IP address block restriction.
- Data sets with specific requirements stored on nodes in this program are not subject to the /24 restriction, allowing them to fill their nodes more rapidly.
- Commercial node operators have a distinct cost structure, often accepting lower payout rates due to their operational efficiency. Still, they can earn meaningful revenue thanks to the removal of the /24 restriction on these data sets.
- Both types of nodes (public and commercial) operate on the Storj network but function effectively as separate tiers, providing a choice for customers to store data on one tier or the other.
- Performance, durability, and reliability remain comparable between the two tiers.
- Storj offers premium enterprise pricing for customers storing data on nodes meeting special criteria.
The end result is a fair opportunity for all participants to achieve an economically rewarding outcome without direct competition between individual and commercial operators for the same workloads.
Current State
We have already recruited an initial set of node operators with SOC2-certified facilities. The program has undergone market testing with this tier of service, and we are now onboarding the first set of enterprise customers. We are also extending invitations to our existing node operators to join the program.
How to Participate
If your facility is suitable for the Commercial Storage Node Operator Program, please request to join the program, and someone from our partnership team will contact you shortly.
For further assistance or inquiries, please contact our support team.