Here’s an article on reclaiming disk space in Bitcoin Core full-node:

Reclaiming Disk Space in Bitcoin Core Full-Node

As a full-node operator, maintaining the full-state of your Bitcoin Core node can be a significant task. One of the biggest challenges is keeping the disk space occupied, which can lead to slower performance and increased energy consumption. In this article, we will explore some strategies for reclaiming disk space in your Bitcoin Core full-node.

The Current State

Before diving into solutions, let’s take a look at our current situation. We have a few stacks: full-node Bitcoin Core + Fulcrum. As you mentioned, because of Fulcrum, we use txindex as the pruning node, which means that the disk space is not utilized for its intended purpose.

The Problem

Using txindex can consume a significant amount of disk space, especially if it’s not properly optimized. The default configuration of txindex often results in a huge index file, which can occupy a substantial portion of our disk. This can lead to slow performance, slower node synchronization, and increased energy consumption due to the constant disk I/O operations.

Solutions

Fortunately, there are several ways to reclaim disk space in your Bitcoin Core full-node:

1.
Optimize txindex Configuration

One of the most effective ways to reduce txindex usage is to optimize its configuration. This involves setting optimal values for the following parameters:

• txindex.target: Set this parameter to a lower value, such as 3. This will allow the pruning node to prune nodes more aggressively.

• txindex.max_index_files: Increase this limit to ensure that the index file size is not too large.

• txindex.sweep_interval_ms: Decrease this interval to reduce the frequency of pruning.

2.
Use a Custom Pruning Node

If you don’t want to rely on txindex, you can use a custom pruning node. This involves setting up a separate node that performs the same function as txindex but with some optimizations applied. You can then use this new node as your pruning node and set its txindex.target parameter accordingly.

3.
Disable Pruning

If none of the above solutions work, you may need to disable pruning altogether. This will require setting prune_node=off in your Bitcoin Core configuration file (~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf). However, be aware that this can lead to slower node synchronization and increased energy consumption.

4.
Use a Different Index File Format

Another solution is to use a different index file format that is more efficient than the default json or index.bin format used by txindex. For example, you can try using a newer format like kvdb_index or kvdb_1.2. This may require some experimentation and tweaking of your configuration.

5.
Regularly Clean Up Index Files

To maintain optimal performance and reduce disk space usage, it’s essential to regularly clean up index files that are no longer needed. You can use tools like bitcoin-cli or a dedicated indexing tool to periodically remove old index files.

Conclusion

Reclaiming disk space in your Bitcoin Core full-node requires some experimentation and tweaking of configuration parameters. By optimizing txindex settings, using custom pruning nodes, disabling pruning, trying alternative index file formats, and regularly cleaning up index files, you can improve the performance and reduce the energy consumption of your node. Remember to always monitor your node’s performance and adjust these solutions accordingly.

Additional Resources

For further reading, I recommend checking out the following resources:

• [Bitcoin Core documentation on txindex](

• [Fulcrum documentation on pruning nodes](