> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://berachain-422fce37-docs-node-snapshots-storage-v2.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Snapshots

A snapshot lets you set up a new node in hours, not days. Berachain publishes a new snapshot once each day, for Mainnet and for Bepolia.

<Info>
  Do this step before you start the clients. If you already started to sync, do these steps first:
  stop both clients, delete the chain data, then restore the snapshot.
</Info>

## Reth storage v1 vs v2

Bera-Reth, Berachain's execution client, is built on the upstream Reth project. Reth v2 added storage v2, a new on-disk layout that splits data by how the node uses it instead of holding everything in one database.

Storage v2 uses less disk (\~20%), performs faster, and is the default for new installations.
See [Reth's storage documentation](https://reth.rs/run/storage/).

Berachain's official snapshots use storage v2, for both Mainnet and Bepolia. Some community node operators still publish storage v1 snapshots; see [Awesome Berachain Validators](https://github.com/chuck-bear/awesome-berachain-validators).

To check which layout a datadir already uses, run `bera-reth db --datadir <dir> settings`.

<Warning>
  Bera-Reth records the storage layout when it creates a datadir, and **does not change it later**.
  Setting or clearing a flag on an existing datadir does not convert it. To move an existing node to
  storage v2, restore a storage v2 snapshot into a new datadir.
</Warning>

## Migrating from storage v1 to v2

Restore a storage v2 snapshot into a new, empty datadir: the same procedure as a new node setup. This is the recommended path, and the steps below cover it.

This procedure only affects the execution layer. Beacon Kit storage format has not changed. Your consensus-layer data and your validator keys are safe during this procedure.

Do these steps to move an existing node to storage v2:

1. Stop the execution client and Beacon-Kit.
2. Delete or preserve the old Bera-Reth datadir (example: `var/reth/data`). A storage v1 datadir and a storage v2 datadir are not compatible with each other. Keep a copy of the old datadir only if you want a way back to storage v1.
3. Restore a snapshot into the empty datadir; see [Restoring an official snapshot](#restoring-an-official-snapshot), below.
4. You do not need to change any configuration or startup options.   Restart the Bera-Reth and Beacon-Kit.

## `bera-reth download` and its options

The `bera-reth download` command restores an execution-layer datadir from a storage v2 snapshot manifest. This is faster than a full network sync.

After it extracts each file, `bera-reth download` checks that file against the manifest's checksum. If a file doesn't match, it deletes the file and downloads it again. A damaged or incomplete download can't leave you with a datadir that looks correct but isn't.

**Required:**

* **`--chain <mainnet|bepolia>`**: chooses the network snapshot to download.
* **`--datadir <dir>`**: the target directory. Do not point this at a running node's data or storage v1 data.
* **`--manifest-url <url>`**: the `manifest.json` URL for the snapshot you want. Copy it from the [Mainnet](https://snapshots.berachain.com/) or [Bepolia](https://bepolia.snapshots.berachain.com/) snapshot site. For a third-party snapshot, copy the URL that provider publishes.

**Pick exactly one preset:**

* **`--minimal`**: downloads the smallest working node. It can sync forward from the snapshot's block. Most operators should use this.
* **`--archive`**: downloads everything in the manifest: full transaction, receipt, and state-history data. This needs far more disk space and download time than `--minimal`.
* **`--full`**: downloads data matching a full, non-archive node's [default pruning settings](https://reth.rs/run/storage/pruning/). More than `--minimal` and far less than `--archive`.

**Useful flags:**

* **`--force`**: deletes the existing `db`, `rocksdb`, `static_files`, and `reth.toml` under `--datadir` first. Use this when the target directory already holds different or partial data.
* **`--print-plan-json`**: reads the manifest and prints the download plan, without downloading or writing anything. Safe to run against a real `--datadir`. Use it to check a manifest URL or estimate the download size before you restore.
* **`--download-concurrency <n>`**: how many downloads run at once (default 8). Raise it on a fast connection; lower it if the source throttles or drops connections.

You can run this command again on a datadir with a partial or damaged restore. This is safe, and often the fix: every file is checked against the manifest's checksum, and anything missing, wrong-sized, or failing that check is deleted and re-downloaded automatically. This check only covers the files in your chosen preset; restoring with `--minimal` doesn't check files outside it.

Copy `<manifest-url>` from the snapshot site for your network before you run these.

## Restoring an official snapshot

```bash theme={null}
# Restore a pruned Bepolia node
bera-reth download --chain bepolia --datadir var/reth/data \
  --manifest-url <manifest-url> --minimal

# Restore a pruned Mainnet node
bera-reth download --chain mainnet --datadir var/reth/data \
  --manifest-url <manifest-url> --minimal

# Dry run - verifies snapshot files on disk
bera-reth download --chain bepolia --datadir var/reth/data \
  --manifest-url <manifest-url> --minimal --print-plan-json
```