Full nodes vs archive nodes

Archive Nodes

Archive nodes come with the advantage of retaining data. This facilitates the storage of the sample that triggers a 'Jailed' state. Thus, during the un-jailing process, the original scenario can be rechecked. As a result, archive nodes can remain in 'Jailed' as long as the initial scenario is still reproducible. They are not deactivated earlier than 5 days.

Full Nodes

Full nodes, on the other hand, prune data over time. This means that they cannot be tested against a past sample. Due to this inherent characteristic of full nodes, if they generate bad data, immediate deactivation might still be the most suitable action. Deactivation frees the slot and requires manual intervention to get it back to the 'Active' state.

Benefits of Maintaining an Archive Node

Node providers must be aware that while managing an archive node might be more challenging, it offers significant advantages. One of those is the possibility of avoiding hasty deactivation and thus keeping its slot reserved while in the 'Jailed' state. Deactivation follows only after 5 days of jailing if the problem is not fixed during this time.