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How to Reset Teranode (Kubernetes)

Last modified: 29-October-2025

Index

Introduction

If you need to sync Teranode from scratch, restore from a backup, or clean up after testing, you'll need to reset the blockchain data. This guide provides reset procedures for Kubernetes deployments using the Teranode Operator.

When to reset:

  • Starting a fresh synchronization from genesis
  • Switching between networks (mainnet/testnet)
  • Recovering from data corruption
  • Cleaning up after testing or development
  • Preparing for a data seeding operation

Prerequisites

  • Backup important data before proceeding (if applicable)
  • Stop all Teranode services before reset
  • kubectl access to the Kubernetes cluster
  • Appropriate RBAC permissions for the teranode-operator namespace

⚠️ Warning: These operations are irreversible and will delete all blockchain data. Ensure you have backups if needed.

Scale Down Services

First, scale down the Teranode services to prevent data access during cleanup:

# Scale down by disabling the cluster in the CR
kubectl patch cluster teranode-cluster -n teranode-operator --type=merge -p '{"spec":{"enabled":false}}'

# Wait for pods to terminate
kubectl wait --for=delete pod -l app.kubernetes.io/managed-by=teranode-operator -n teranode-operator --timeout=300s

# Verify all Teranode pods are terminated
kubectl get pods -n teranode-operator

Database Cleanup

Aerospike Cleanup

# Get Aerospike pod name
AEROSPIKE_POD=$(kubectl get pods -n teranode-operator -l app=aerospike -o jsonpath='{.items[0].metadata.name}')

# Access Aerospike pod
kubectl exec -it $AEROSPIKE_POD -n teranode-operator -- bash

# Truncate the UTXO set
asadm --enable -e "manage truncate ns utxo-store"

# Verify the total records count (should slowly decrease to 0)
asadm -e "info"

# Exit
exit

PostgreSQL Cleanup

# Get Postgres pod name
POSTGRES_POD=$(kubectl get pods -n teranode-operator -l app=postgres -o jsonpath='{.items[0].metadata.name}')

# Access Postgres pod
kubectl exec -it $POSTGRES_POD -n teranode-operator -- psql -U postgres -d teranode

# Once in psql, run these commands:

-- Sanity count check
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM blocks;

-- Truncate tables
TRUNCATE TABLE blocks RESTART IDENTITY CASCADE;
TRUNCATE TABLE state RESTART IDENTITY CASCADE;
TRUNCATE TABLE bans RESTART IDENTITY CASCADE;

-- Verify truncation
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM blocks;

-- (Optional) Drop indexes for faster seeding
DROP INDEX IF EXISTS idx_chain_work_id;
DROP INDEX IF EXISTS idx_chain_work_peer_id;

-- Exit
\q

💡 Performance Tip: Dropping the indexes before seeding significantly speeds up the initial data load. The blockchain service will recreate them automatically on startup.

Persistent Volume Cleanup

If you need to clean up filesystem data from shared PVCs:

# List persistent volume claims
kubectl get pvc -n teranode-operator

# If you need to delete PVC data, you can:
# 1. Delete the PVC (this will delete all data on it)
kubectl delete pvc shared-pvc -n teranode-operator

# 2. Recreate the PVC (it will be recreated automatically by the operator)
# Or manually create it if needed

# Alternatively, access a pod with the PVC mounted and clean specific directories
kubectl exec -it <pod-with-pvc> -n teranode-operator -- rm -rf /app/data/*

Restart Services

Once cleanup is complete, scale services back up:

# Re-enable the cluster in the CR
kubectl patch cluster teranode-cluster -n teranode-operator --type=merge -p '{"spec":{"enabled":true}}'

# Wait for pods to be ready
kubectl wait --for=condition=ready pod -l app=blockchain -n teranode-operator --timeout=300s

# Verify all pods are running
kubectl get pods -n teranode-operator

Post-Reset Steps

After resetting Teranode, follow these steps to resume operations:

Verify Services Are Running

kubectl get pods -n teranode-operator

Set FSM State

Teranode starts in IDLE state. You need to transition to the appropriate state:

# Via teranode-cli
kubectl exec -it $(kubectl get pods -n teranode-operator -l app=blockchain -o jsonpath='{.items[0].metadata.name}') -n teranode-operator -- teranode-cli setfsmstate --fsmstate LEGACYSYNCING

Monitor Synchronization

# View blockchain logs
kubectl logs -n teranode-operator -l app=blockchain -f

# Port-forward to access dashboard
kubectl port-forward -n teranode-operator service/asset 8090:8090
# Then open http://localhost:8090/viewer

Consider Data Seeding

For faster synchronization, consider using data seeding instead of syncing from genesis. See the How to Sync the Node guide for seeding procedures.