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Nodes

An edge node is the runtime that executes data pipelines on your infrastructure.

What is a Node?​

A node is:

  • A lightweight daemon (~50MB binary)
  • Runs on your infrastructure
  • Executes one or more pipelines
  • Reports metrics to Expanso Cloud

Node Lifecycle​

1. Bootstrap​

Register with Expanso Cloud using a bootstrap token:

expanso-edge bootstrap --token YOUR_TOKEN

The node receives credentials and network assignment.

2. Connect​

Establish secure TLS connection to control plane:

  • Registers with assigned network
  • Receives initial configuration
  • Begins health reporting

3. Execute​

Run assigned pipelines:

  • Download pipeline configs
  • Execute data processing
  • Report metrics and status

4. Update​

Receive configuration updates:

  • New pipelines deployed
  • Existing pipelines updated
  • Configuration changes applied

Deployment Options​

Nodes can run anywhere:

Bare metal / VMs:

curl -sL https://get.expanso.io/edge/install.sh | bash
expanso-edge bootstrap --token TOKEN

Docker:

docker run -d \
  -e EXPANSO_EDGE_BOOTSTRAP_TOKEN=TOKEN \
  ghcr.io/expanso-io/expanso-edge:nightly

Kubernetes:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: expanso-edge
spec:
  template:
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: expanso-edge
        image: ghcr.io/expanso-io/expanso-edge:latest
        env:
        - name: EXPANSO_EDGE_BOOTSTRAP_TOKEN
          value: YOUR_TOKEN

Edge devices:

  • Raspberry Pi
  • IoT gateways
  • Industrial PLCs

Resource Requirements​

Minimal footprint:

  • CPU: 0.5 cores
  • RAM: 64 MB base
  • Disk: 150 MB

Actual usage depends on:

  • Number of pipelines
  • Data volume
  • Buffering configuration
  • Transformation complexity

Node Labels​

Add labels during bootstrap or via configuration:

labels:
  env: production
  region: us-east-1
  datacenter: dc-1
  role: log-processor

Use labels to:

  • Organize nodes
  • Target deployments
  • Filter in monitoring

Health & Monitoring​

Nodes report health every 10 seconds:

  • Connection status: Connected/disconnected
  • Pipeline status: Running/stopped/failed
  • Resource usage: CPU, memory, disk
  • Error conditions: Recent errors and warnings

What's Next?​

👉 Pipelines - Learn about data flow definitions

👉 Deploy a Node - Get hands-on