> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bless.network/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Managing Your Node

> Guide to managing a Bless Node with logs, shutdown, and identity persistence

This guide covers essential commands for managing your Bless Node, including checking logs, stopping, and removing your node. It also explains how to persist your node identity to prevent resets when restarting or removing the container.

## Checking Node Logs

To monitor your node’s activity, use:

```bash Terminal theme={null}
docker logs -f blessnetwork-node
```

## Stopping the Node

To stop your running node, execute:

```bash Terminal theme={null}
docker stop blessnetwork-node
```

## Removing the Node

If you need to remove your node container, run:

```bash Terminal theme={null}
docker rm blessnetwork-node
```

## Persisting Your Node Identity

By default, your node identity resets if the container is removed. To prevent this, you can either store it locally using a volume or back up your identity to S3.

### Option 1: Store Identity Locally (Recommended)

To ensure your node identity persists across restarts or container removals, map a local volume:

```bash Terminal theme={null}
docker run -d \
  --name blessnetwork-node \
  -p 9527:9527 \
  --env-file .env \
  -v ${PWD}/node-data:/app/keys \
  ghcr.io/blessnetwork/b7s:0.6.6.patch3
```

This stores your node identity in the `node-data/` directory, preventing it from being lost when the container is removed.

### Option 2: Backup to S3 (Cloud Storage)

If you prefer cloud-based storage, configure your `.env` file with the necessary S3 environment variables. This enables automatic backups of your node identity.