Custom Application Properties

Overview

Solo lets you provide a custom application.properties file for consensus nodes with the --application-properties flag. By default, Solo merges your file with its generated defaults. If you need complete control over the final file, add an overwrite marker to your custom file.

Use the default merge mode when you only need to change or add a few properties. Use overwrite mode only when you want your file to replace Solo’s generated application.properties content.

Default merge mode

Pass your file to solo consensus network deploy:

solo consensus network deploy \
  --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}" \
  --application-properties ./config/application.properties

In merge mode, Solo starts with its generated application.properties, then applies your file as key-level overrides:

• If your file contains a key that already exists in Solo’s generated file, Solo replaces that key’s value.
• If your file contains a new key, Solo appends it to the final file.
• Blank lines and comments in your file are ignored during the merge.
• Solo-generated keys that you do not mention remain in the final file.

Example custom file for merge mode:

# Override only the properties that need to change.
contracts.chainId=298
hedera.recordStream.logPeriod=1

This is the recommended mode for most deployments because Solo keeps its generated defaults while still applying your overrides.

Overwrite mode

To replace Solo’s generated application.properties file, add the overwrite marker as a comment in your custom file:

# SOLO_ENABLE_OVERWRITE=true

contracts.chainId=298
hedera.recordStream.logPeriod=1
# Include every other property your consensus nodes require.

Then deploy with the same flag:

solo consensus network deploy \
  --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}" \
  --application-properties ./config/application.properties

The marker must be on a comment line that starts with #. Solo looks for the exact text SOLO_ENABLE_OVERWRITE=true inside a comment. If the marker is missing, or if it is written as a normal property instead of a comment, Solo uses default merge mode.

In overwrite mode, your file becomes the full application.properties content. Solo does not carry over defaults that are missing from your file, so include all properties required by the consensus node version and deployment topology you are running.

Falcon values file

For One-shot Falcon deployments, put the same flag under the network section:

network:
  --application-properties: "./config/application.properties"

The merge or overwrite behavior is still controlled by the contents of the referenced application.properties file. Add # SOLO_ENABLE_OVERWRITE=true to that file only when you want overwrite mode.

For the complete list of Falcon network flags, see the Falcon Values File Reference.