EVM Test Node with Explorer

A complete Docker-based setup for running a private EVM test network with block explorer using Geth and Epirus.

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Docker
• Docker Compose

Setup Commands

1. Create Docker network and volume:

# Create the network
docker network create virtual_office

# Create the persistent volume for blockchain data
docker volume create evm-node-data

2. Start the services:

# Build and start all services
docker-compose up -d

# Check logs
docker-compose logs -f emv_node

3. Stop the services:

docker-compose down

Services Overview

EVM Node Service (emv_node)

Main Ethereum node running Geth with Clique PoA consensus.

Ports:

• 8545: HTTP RPC endpoint
• 8546: WebSocket endpoint

Environment Variables:

• CHAIN_ID: Network chain ID (default: 7979)
• BLOCK_PERIOD: Block time in seconds (default: 12)
• ACCOUNTS: Pre-funded accounts in format address:balance,address:balance
  • Format: 0xAddress:amountInWei
  • Example: 0xeED002fc450B60A7E8a4289A6CEeAF471c461aB0:1000000000000000000000

Block Explorer Services

• evm_web: Web interface (Port 8100)
• evm_api: API backend (Port 8101)
• evm_ingestion: Data indexing service
• evm_mongodb: Database for explorer data
• evm_redis: Cache service

Network Access

MetaMask Configuration

Add custom network with these settings:

• Network Name: EVM Test Network
• RPC URL: http://localhost:8545
• Chain ID: 7979
• Currency Symbol: ETH
• Block Explorer URL: http://localhost:8100

Direct RPC Access

HTTP RPC: http://localhost:8545 WebSocket: ws://localhost:8546

Block Explorer

Web Interface: http://localhost:8100

Pre-funded Test Accounts

The network comes with pre-funded accounts (configured via ACCOUNTS environment variable):

Default accounts:

• 0xeED002fc450B60A7E8a4289A6CEeAF471c461aB0: 1000 ETH
• 0x1d9463bD28934EDf65D731F1881d047614c1c10e: 1 ETH

Usage Examples

Using curl to interact with the node:

# Get latest block number
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}' \
  http://localhost:8545

# Get account balance
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_getBalance","params":["0xeED002fc450B60A7E8a4289A6CEeAF471c461aB0","latest"],"id":1}' \
  http://localhost:8545

Using MetaMask:

1. Add the custom network (see configuration above)
2. Import account using private keys or create new accounts
3. Request test ETH from the pre-funded accounts

Network Specifications

• Consensus: Clique Proof of Authority (PoA)
• Block Time: 12 seconds
• Gas Limit: 8,000,000
• Chain ID: 7979
• Network ID: 7979

File Structure

.
├── docker-compose.yaml    # Main orchestration file
├── Dockerfile            # EVM node container definition
├── entrypoint.sh         # Node startup script
└── README.md            # This file

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Service won't start:

• Ensure the virtual_office network exists: docker network create virtual_office
• Ensure the volume exists: docker volume create evm-node-data

Can't connect from MetaMask:

• Verify the node is running: docker-compose logs emv_node
• Check if port 8545 is accessible: curl http://localhost:8545

Explorer not loading:

• Wait a few minutes for all services to fully start
• Check all services are running: docker-compose ps
• View logs: docker-compose logs evm_web

Node data persistence:

• Blockchain data persists in the evm-node-data Docker volume
• To reset the blockchain: docker volume rm evm-node-data then recreate it

Customization

Adding More Pre-funded Accounts

Modify the ACCOUNTS environment variable in docker-compose.yaml:

environment:
  - ACCOUNTS=0xAddress1:1000000000000000000000,0xAddress2:2000000000000000000000,0xAddress3:500000000000000000000

Changing Block Time

Modify the BLOCK_PERIOD environment variable:

environment:
  - BLOCK_PERIOD=5  # 5 second blocks

Using Different Chain ID

Update the CHAIN_ID environment variable:

environment:
  - CHAIN_ID=1337

Security Note

This setup is for development and testing only. It uses:

• Insecure account unlocking
• Simple passwords
• Open CORS policies
• No authentication

Do not use in production environments.