> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://luminouslabs-cc5545c6-swen-add-code-runner.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Node Operators

> Learn how to run ZK Compression infrastructure, such as Forester nodes, Photon indexers and Prover nodes.

<Check>
  Developers don't need to run any nodes to use ZK Compression.
</Check>

To connect to public networks (i.e., Devnet, Mainnet-Beta), you can either work with an RPC infrastructure provider that supports ZK Compression, such as [Helius Labs](https://helius.xyz/), or run your own nodes.

<Info>
  There are three different types of nodes:

  * Photon RPC nodes
  * Prover nodes
  * Light forester nodes
</Info>

#### Photon Indexer Node

Indexer nodes use an existing connection to a Solana RPC full node to parse the transactions involving Light Protocol programs, enabling clients to read and write zk-compressed state.

The canonical ZK Compression indexer is named Photon and is maintained by Helius Labs. It is fully open-source, and can be run locally. To set it up, simply point it to an existing Solana RPC. See the [Github repo](https://github.com/helius-labs/photon) for more info.

<Card title="GitHub - helius-labs/photon" href="https://github.com/helius-labs/photon" icon="github" horizontal />

#### Prover Node

Provers generate validity proofs for state inclusion and PDA uniqueness on behalf of app developers

**Prover nodes** can be operated either standalone or with an RPC node: in its default configuration, the Photon RPC node implementation by [Helius Labs](https://github.com/helius-labs/photon) bundles a Prover node. The ZK Compression RPC API specification supports proof generation via the `getValidityProof` endpoint, making it easy to serve proofs using regular RPC methods via the same port.

Please refer to the [Github repo](https://github.com/Lightprotocol/light-protocol/tree/a0379c3ac085c8e97914e8b456cf19f3d9172313/prover) for more info:

<Card title="https://github.com/Lightprotocol/light-protocol/tree/main/light-prover" href="https://github.com/Lightprotocol/light-protocol/tree/a0379c3ac085c8e97914e8b456cf19f3d9172313/prover" icon="github" horizontal />

#### Forester Node

These nodes manage the creation, rollover, and updating of shared and program-owned state trees. Running a forester node is permissionless for your own state trees.

<Card title="light-protocol/forester at main · Lightprotocol/light-protocol" href="https://github.com/Lightprotocol/light-protocol/tree/main/forester" icon="github" horizontal />