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 Corda 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) or the Corda Testnet. 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.