> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://hs-df36fa00.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set Up Federation Trust Modes for ServiceNet Nodes

> Configure open or trusted federation to control which peers your ServiceNet node accepts gossip and backfill records from in the P2P network.

Federation trust controls which P2P peers your node accepts provider and agent records from. In open mode, any connected peer can contribute records to your local registry. In trusted mode, only peers you explicitly list are allowed to push registry data — all others are silently ignored for gossip and backfill, while still remaining reachable for direct agent invocations.

## Open Federation (Default)

In open mode, any peer that connects to your node can gossip and backfill provider and published agent records. Records are still validated against your local registry rules before being accepted.

```bash theme={null}
SERVICENET_P2P_ENABLED=1 \
SERVICENET_FEDERATION_MODE=open \
cargo run -p watt-servicenet-node
```

Open mode is the default. If you omit `SERVICENET_FEDERATION_MODE`, your node behaves as if it is set to `open`.

## Trusted Federation

In trusted mode, your node only merges registry data from peers listed in `SERVICENET_FEDERATION_TRUSTED_PEERS`. Peers not on the list can still connect, but your node ignores their provider and agent records.

```bash theme={null}
SERVICENET_P2P_ENABLED=1 \
SERVICENET_FEDERATION_MODE=trusted \
SERVICENET_FEDERATION_TRUSTED_PEERS=<peer-endpoint-id-1>,<peer-endpoint-id-2> \
cargo run -p watt-servicenet-node
```

Provide each peer as an Iroh `EndpointId` (the same ID printed in the peer's startup logs). Separate multiple entries with commas — no spaces.

<Note>
  In trusted mode, peers **not** in the trusted list are still reachable for direct agent invocations through the HTTP API. Only their inbound gossip and backfill records are ignored — your node will not merge their provider or agent data into the local registry.
</Note>

## Choosing a Federation Mode

Use this table to pick the right mode for your deployment:

| Use case                       | Recommended mode |
| ------------------------------ | ---------------- |
| Open public network node       | `open`           |
| Curated or consortium network  | `trusted`        |
| Official registry / entry node | `trusted`        |
| Development / testing          | `open`           |

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Open mode" icon="globe">
    Best for nodes that want to participate fully in the public ServiceNet — accepting records from all verified peers and contributing to the shared registry.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Trusted mode" icon="shield-check">
    Best for official entry nodes, consortium deployments, or any operator who needs explicit control over which peers can influence their local registry state.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Federation Environment Variables

| Variable                              | Values                              | Description                                                                                                                           |
| ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `SERVICENET_FEDERATION_MODE`          | `open` *(default)* / `trusted`      | Trust policy applied to all inbound P2P gossip and backfill data. `allowlist` and `allow-list` are accepted as aliases for `trusted`. |
| `SERVICENET_FEDERATION_TRUSTED_PEERS` | Comma-separated `EndpointId` values | The set of peers allowed to contribute registry records in `trusted` mode                                                             |

<Warning>
  In `trusted` mode, if you leave `SERVICENET_FEDERATION_TRUSTED_PEERS` empty, your node will reject registry data from every peer — effectively running in read-only P2P mode for the registry. Ensure you list at least one trusted peer before enabling trusted federation in production.
</Warning>

## Combining Federation with P2P Setup

Federation mode is enforced on top of the P2P transport layer. Set up P2P connectivity first, then layer in federation policy:

```bash theme={null}
SERVICENET_P2P_ENABLED=1 \
SERVICENET_P2P_NETWORK_ID=mainnet \
SERVICENET_P2P_LISTEN_ADDRS=0.0.0.0:4101 \
SERVICENET_P2P_BOOTSTRAP_PEERS=<bootstrap-peer-id>@203.0.113.5:4101 \
SERVICENET_FEDERATION_MODE=trusted \
SERVICENET_FEDERATION_TRUSTED_PEERS=<bootstrap-peer-id> \
cargo run -p watt-servicenet-node
```

See [P2P Setup](/guides/p2p-setup) for details on bootstrap peers, listen addresses, and relay fallback.