# Introduction

> Node operators participate in consensus and help compress data by generating zk-SNARKs.

Canonical URL: https://docs.minaprotocol.com/node-operators/

The [Mina Protocol](/mina-protocol) is a layer 1 blockchain that is secured by [proof of stake consensus](/mina-protocol/proof-of-stake).

Node operators are people who run Mina nodes. Mina node operators participate in consensus to create new blocks and help compress data by generating zk-SNARKs.

## Mina Node Roles

A node is a machine running the [Mina daemon](/glossary#daemon). Different nodes fulfill different roles within the Mina network:

1. Validator - A plain Mina daemon node that participates in network consensus and can be used for operations such as sending and signing payments.

2. [Block Producer](/glossary#block-producer) - A node that participates in a process to determine what blocks it is allowed to produce and then produces blocks containing transactions that can be broadcast to the network. People who run [block producer](https://docs.minaprotocol.com/mina-protocol/block-producers) nodes are also called block producers.

3. [SNARK Coordinators](/glossary#snark-coordinator) - A role on a Mina node in the Mina network that distributes work to a series of SNARK workers in parallel to block production.

4. [SNARK Workers](https://docs.minaprotocol.com/glossary#snark-worker) -  SNARK workers create [zk-SNARKs](https://minaprotocol.com/blog/what-are-zk-snarks) for each transaction. These zk-SNARKs are used to create recursive zk-SNARKs that prove the correctness of a block, and in turn, these zk-SNARKs are used to create recursive zk-SNARKs that prove the correctness of the network. These zk-SNARKs help provide the Mina Protocol with succinctness.

5. [Archive Nodes](/node-operators/archive-node) - A regular mina daemon that is connected to a running `mina-archive` process. The daemon regularly sends blockchain data to the archive process that stores it in a [PostgreSQL](https://www.postgresql.org/) database.

6. [Seed Nodes](https://docs.minaprotocol.com/glossary#seed-nodes) - Keep a record of nodes in the network and enable nodes joining the network to connect to peer nodes.

## Operating a Node

Node operators are network participants who run Mina nodes on a Mina network.

This section describes how to run each node role and where to find the operational references.

### Validators
- [Requirements](/node-operators/validator-node/requirements) - Hardware, software, and network requirements
- [Generating a Key Pair](/node-operators/validator-node/generating-a-keypair) - How to generate key pairs
- [Querying Data](/node-operators/validator-node/querying-data) - Query blockchain data via GraphQL
- [Staking and Snarking](/node-operators/validator-node/staking-and-snarking) - How to stake your MINA
- [Logging](/node-operators/validator-node/logging) - Log files, levels, and export

### Specialized Node Types
- [Block Producers](/node-operators/block-producer-node) - Running a Block Producer
- [SNARK Coordinator & Workers](/node-operators/snark-workers) - Running SNARK coordinator and worker roles
- [Archive Nodes](/node-operators/archive-node) - Running an Archive Node
- [Seed Node](/node-operators/seed-peers) - Running a Seed Node

### Data and Programs
- [Data and History](/node-operators/data-and-history) - Rosetta API and blockchain integration
- [Delegation Program](/node-operators/delegation-program) - The Mina Foundation Delegation Program for Block Producers

### Reference
- [Mina CLI Reference](/node-operators/reference/mina-cli-reference) - Guide to CLI interactions with Mina networks
- [Mina Signer](/node-operators/mina-signer) - Key generation and transaction signing

### Support
- [Troubleshooting](/node-operators/troubleshooting) - Solutions to common problems
- [FAQ](/node-operators/faq) - Frequently asked questions

## Exchange Integration

[Exchange Operators](/node-operators/exchange-operators) describes how exchanges can integrate with the Mina blockchain using Rosetta API, archive nodes, and validator nodes.