2014-02-25 04:47:33 -08:00
# *insight API*
2014-01-06 10:55:45 -08:00
2014-02-26 11:42:36 -08:00
*insight API* is an open-source bitcoin blockchain REST
and websocket API. Insight API runs in NodeJS and use LevelDB for storage.
2014-02-10 17:40:16 -08:00
2014-02-26 11:42:36 -08:00
*Insight API* allows to develop bitcoin related applications such as wallets that
require certain information from the blockchain that bitcoind does not provide.
A blockchain explorer front-end have been developed to top of *Insight API* , it can
2014-02-26 11:44:26 -08:00
be downloaded at [Github Insight Repository ](https://github.com/bitpay/insight ).
2014-02-19 15:49:11 -08:00
2014-01-06 10:55:45 -08:00
2014-01-07 04:43:04 -08:00
## Prerequisites
2014-01-06 13:16:28 -08:00
2014-02-12 04:58:13 -08:00
* **bitcoind** - Download and Install [Bitcoin ](http://bitcoin.org/en/download )
2014-02-10 12:33:54 -08:00
2014-02-13 07:20:13 -08:00
*insight* needs a *trusted* bitcoind node to run. *insight* will connect to the node
thru the RPC API, Peer-to-peer protocol and will even read its raw .dat files for syncing.
2014-02-12 04:58:13 -08:00
Configure bitcoind to listen to RPC calls and set `txindex` to true.
The easiest way to do this is by copying `./etc/bitcoind/bitcoin.conf` to your
2014-02-25 04:56:39 -08:00
bitcoin data directory (usually `"~/.bitcoin"` on Linux, `"%appdata%\Bitcoin\"` on Windows,
2014-02-13 07:20:13 -08:00
or `"~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin"` on Mac OS X).
bitcoind must be running and must have finished downloading the blockchain **before** running *insight* .
2014-02-11 04:54:07 -08:00
2014-02-13 07:20:13 -08:00
* **Node.js v0.10.x** - Download and Install [Node.js ](http://www.nodejs.org/download/ ).
2014-02-12 04:58:13 -08:00
* **NPM** - Node.js package manager, should be automatically installed when you get node.js.
2014-01-07 04:43:04 -08:00
## Quick Install
2014-02-14 13:33:38 -08:00
Check the Prerequisites section above before installing.
2014-02-26 11:32:36 -08:00
To install Insight API, clone the main repository:
2014-01-13 14:44:44 -08:00
2014-02-26 11:32:36 -08:00
$ git clone git@github.com:bitpay/insight-api.git & & cd insight-api
2014-01-13 14:44:44 -08:00
2014-01-07 04:43:04 -08:00
Install dependencies:
$ npm install
2014-02-25 04:56:39 -08:00
2014-02-12 04:58:13 -08:00
Run the main application:
2014-02-11 04:54:07 -08:00
$ node insight.js
2014-02-10 17:40:16 -08:00
2014-02-10 12:33:54 -08:00
Then open a browser and go to:
2014-01-07 04:43:04 -08:00
2014-02-13 08:22:54 -08:00
http://localhost:3001
2014-02-12 04:58:13 -08:00
Please note that the app will need to sync its internal database
with the blockchain state, which may take some time. You can check
sync progress from within the web interface.
2014-02-25 04:56:39 -08:00
2014-02-11 04:54:07 -08:00
## Configuration
2014-02-14 05:02:09 -08:00
All configuration is specified in the [config ](config/ ) folder, particularly the [config.js ](config/config.js ) file. There you can specify your application name and database name. Certain configuration values are pulled from environment variables if they are defined:
2014-02-11 04:54:07 -08:00
2014-02-13 07:20:13 -08:00
### bitcoind connexion
2014-02-11 04:54:07 -08:00
```
2014-02-12 04:58:13 -08:00
BITCOIND_HOST # RPC bitcoind host
BITCOIND_PORT # RPC bitcoind Port
BITCOIND_P2P_PORT # P2P bitcoind Port
2014-02-11 05:43:53 -08:00
BITCOIND_USER # RPC username
BITCOIND_PASS # RPC password
BITCOIND_DATADIR # bitcoind datadir for livenet, or datadir/testnet3 for testnet
INSIGHT_NETWORK [= 'livenet' | 'testnet']
2014-02-11 04:54:07 -08:00
```
2014-02-14 12:14:49 -08:00
Make sure that bitcoind is configured to [accept incoming connections using 'rpcallowip' ](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Running_Bitcoin ).
2014-02-11 04:54:07 -08:00
2014-02-14 05:02:09 -08:00
In case the network is changed (testnet to livenet or vice versa) levelDB database needs to be deleted. This can be performed running:
2014-02-13 07:20:13 -08:00
```util/sync.js -D``` and waiting for *insight* to synchronize again. Once the database is deleted, the sync.js process can be safely interrupted (CTRL+C) and continued from the synchronization process embedded in main app.
2014-02-11 04:54:07 -08:00
2014-02-14 12:14:49 -08:00
## Synchronization
2014-02-11 04:54:07 -08:00
2014-02-14 12:14:49 -08:00
The initial synchronization process scans the blockchain from the paired bitcoind server to update addresses and balances. *insight* needs one (and only one) trusted bitcoind node to run. This node must have finished downloading the blockchain befure running *insight* .
2014-02-11 04:54:07 -08:00
2014-02-25 04:56:39 -08:00
While *insight* is synchronizing the website can be accessed (the sync process is embedded in the webserver), but there may be missing data or incorrect balances for addresses. The 'sync' status is shown on the top-right of all pages.
2014-02-11 04:54:07 -08:00
2014-02-14 12:14:49 -08:00
The blockchain can be read from bitcoind's raw `.dat` files or RPC interface. Reading the information from the `.dat` files is much faster so it's the recommended (and default) alternative. `.dat` files are scanned in the default location for each platform. In case a non-standard location is used, it needs to be defined (see the Configuration section). The synchronization type being used can be seen at the [Status page ](http://localhost:3001/status ). As of February 2014, using `.dat` files the sync process takes 7 hrs. for livenet and 20 mins. for testnet.
2014-01-07 04:43:04 -08:00
2014-02-25 04:56:39 -08:00
While synchronizing the blockchain, *insight* listens for new blocks and transactions relayed by the bitcoind node. Those are also stored on *insight* 's database. In case *insight* is shutdown for a period of time, restarting it will trigger a partial (historic) synchronization of the blockchain. Depending on the size of that synchronization task, a reverse RPC or forward `.dat` syncing strategy will be used.
2014-02-13 05:03:13 -08:00
2014-02-14 12:14:49 -08:00
If bitcoind is shutdown, *insight* needs to be stopped and restarted once bitcoind is restarted.
2014-02-10 12:33:54 -08:00
2014-02-14 05:02:09 -08:00
### Syncing old blockchain data manualy
2014-02-13 05:03:13 -08:00
2014-02-14 05:02:09 -08:00
Old blockchain data can be manually synced issuing:
2014-02-10 12:33:54 -08:00
2014-02-23 04:45:55 -08:00
$ util/sync.js
2014-02-10 05:35:35 -08:00
2014-02-23 04:45:55 -08:00
Check util/sync.js --help for options, particulary -D to erase the current DB.
2014-02-11 04:54:07 -08:00
2014-02-14 12:14:49 -08:00
*NOTE* that there is no need to run this manually since the historic synchronization is embedded on the web application, so by running you will trigger the historic sync automatically.
2014-02-14 05:02:09 -08:00
### DB storage requirement
2014-02-10 17:40:16 -08:00
2014-02-25 04:56:39 -08:00
To store the blockchain and address related information, *insight* uses LevelDB. Two DBs are created: txs and blocks. By default these are stored on
```< insight root > /db```
2014-02-14 05:02:09 -08:00
this can be changed on config/config.js. As of February 2014, storing the livenet blockchain takes ~30GB of disk space (2GB for the testnet).
2014-02-10 05:35:35 -08:00
2014-02-14 05:02:09 -08:00
## Development
2014-02-10 05:35:35 -08:00
2014-02-14 05:02:09 -08:00
To run insight locally for development with grunt:
2014-01-13 14:44:44 -08:00
2014-02-14 05:02:09 -08:00
```$ NODE_ENV=development grunt```
2014-02-10 17:40:16 -08:00
2014-02-14 05:02:09 -08:00
To run the tests
```$ grunt test```
Contributions and suggestions are welcomed at [insight github repository ](https://github.com/bitpay/insight ).
2014-01-15 04:38:27 -08:00
2014-01-10 14:55:16 -08:00
## API
2014-02-25 05:00:40 -08:00
By default, insight provides a REST API at /api, but this prefix is configurable from the var `apiPrefix` in the `config.js` file.
2014-02-25 04:47:33 -08:00
The end-points are:
2014-01-10 14:55:16 -08:00
2014-01-15 05:38:00 -08:00
### Block
2014-01-07 04:50:56 -08:00
```
2014-01-08 08:29:54 -08:00
/api/block/[:hash]
/api/block/00000000a967199a2fad0877433c93df785a8d8ce062e5f9b451cd1397bdbf62
2014-01-07 04:50:56 -08:00
```
2014-01-15 05:38:00 -08:00
### Transaction
2014-01-07 21:00:37 -08:00
```
2014-01-08 08:29:54 -08:00
/api/tx/[:txid]
/api/tx/525de308971eabd941b139f46c7198b5af9479325c2395db7f2fb5ae8562556c
2014-01-07 21:00:37 -08:00
```
2014-02-10 12:33:54 -08:00
### Address
2014-01-14 04:26:00 -08:00
```
/api/addr/[:addr]
/api/addr/mmvP3mTe53qxHdPqXEvdu8WdC7GfQ2vmx5
```
2014-01-15 05:38:00 -08:00
### Transactions by Block
```
/api/txs/?block=HASH
/api/txs/?block=00000000fa6cf7367e50ad14eb0ca4737131f256fc4c5841fd3c3f140140e6b6
```
### Transactions by Address
```
/api/txs/?address=ADDR
/api/txs/?address=mmhmMNfBiZZ37g1tgg2t8DDbNoEdqKVxAL
2014-01-23 04:46:39 -08:00
```
2014-01-19 07:39:34 -08:00
2014-02-13 12:00:26 -08:00
### Historic blockchain data sync status
2014-01-19 07:39:34 -08:00
```
/api/sync
```
2014-02-13 12:00:26 -08:00
### Live network p2p data sync status
```
/api/peer
```
2014-01-15 04:38:27 -08:00
## Web Socket API
The web socket API is served using [socket.io ](http://socket.io ) at:
```
/socket.io/1/
2014-01-15 05:38:00 -08:00
```
2014-01-07 04:50:56 -08:00
2014-01-15 04:38:27 -08:00
Bitcoin network events published are:
'tx': new transaction received from network. Data will be a app/models/Transaction object.
Sample output:
```
{
"txid":"00c1b1acb310b87085c7deaaeba478cef5dc9519fab87a4d943ecbb39bd5b053",
"processed":false
2014-02-10 12:33:54 -08:00
...
2014-01-15 04:38:27 -08:00
}
```
'block': new block received from network. Data will be a app/models/Block object.
Sample output:
```
{
"hash":"000000004a3d187c430cd6a5e988aca3b19e1f1d1727a50dead6c8ac26899b96",
"time":1389789343,
2014-02-12 04:58:13 -08:00
...
2014-01-15 04:38:27 -08:00
}
```
2014-01-07 04:50:56 -08:00
2014-01-19 07:39:34 -08:00
'sync': every 1% increment on the sync task, this event will be triggered.
Sample output:
```
{
2014-02-10 12:33:54 -08:00
blocksToSync: 164141,
syncedBlocks: 475,
upToExisting: true,
scanningBackward: true,
isEndGenesis: true,
end: "000000000933ea01ad0ee984209779baaec3ced90fa3f408719526f8d77f4943",
isStartGenesis: false,
start: "000000009f929800556a8f3cfdbe57c187f2f679e351b12f7011bfc276c41b6d"
2014-01-19 07:39:34 -08:00
}
```
2014-01-21 16:09:30 -08:00
2014-01-07 04:43:04 -08:00
## License
(The MIT License)
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to
permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to
the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT,
TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.