What is a compatibility zone?

Every Corda node is part of a “zone” (also sometimes called a Corda network) that is permissioned. Production deployments require a secure certificate authority. We use the term “zone” to refer to a set of technically compatible nodes reachable over a TCP/IP network like the internet. The word “network” is used in Corda but can be ambiguous with the concept of a “business network”, which is usually more like a membership list or subset of nodes in a zone that have agreed to trade with each other.

How do I become part of a compatibility zone?

Bootstrapping a compatibility zone

You can easily bootstrap a compatibility zone for testing or pre-production use with either the Network bootstrapper or the Network Builder tools.

Joining an existing compatibility zone

After the testing and pre-production phases, users are encouraged to join an existing compatibility zone such as Corda Network (the main compatibility zone). See Joining an existing compatibility zone.

Setting up a dynamic compatibility zone

Some users may also be interested in setting up their own dynamic compatibility zone. For instructions and a discussion of whether this approach is suitable for you, see Setting up a dynamic compatibility zone.