Using Solo with Mirror Node

Overview

The Hiero Mirror Node stores the full transaction history of your local Solo network and exposes it through several interfaces:

• A web-based block explorer (Hiero Mirror Node Explorer) at http://localhost:38080/localnet/dashboard (Solo 0.63+) or http://localhost:8080/localnet/dashboard (Solo 0.62 and earlier).
• A REST API via the mirror-ingress service at http://localhost:38081 (Solo 0.63+) or http://localhost:8081 (Solo 0.62 and earlier) (recommended entry point — routes to the correct REST implementation).
• A gRPC endpoint for mirror node subscriptions.

Important: The port numbers in this document are Solo’s default targets. If any port is already in use on your machine when Solo starts, Solo automatically selects the next available port. If an endpoint does not work, check the actual ports assigned to your deployment — see Port Reference below.

This guide walks you through adding Mirror Node and the Hiero Explorer to a Solo network, and shows you how to query transaction data and create accounts.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure you have completed the following:

• System Readiness - your local environment meets all hardware and software requirements, including Docker and Solo.

• Quickstart - you have a running Solo network deployed using solo one-shot single deploy.

• To find your deployment name at any time, run:

  cat ~/.solo/cache/last-one-shot-deployment.txt
  

Step 1: Deploy Solo with Mirror Node

Note: If you deployed your network using one-shot, Falcon, or the Task Tool, Mirror Node is already running - skip to Step 2: Access the Mirror Node Explorer.

Fresh manual Deployment

If you are building a custom network or adding the mirror node to an existing deployment, run the following commands in sequence:

# Set environment variables
export SOLO_CLUSTER_NAME=solo-cluster
export SOLO_NAMESPACE=solo-deployment
export SOLO_CLUSTER_SETUP_NAMESPACE=solo-cluster-setup
export SOLO_DEPLOYMENT=solo-deployment

# Reset environment
rm -Rf ~/.solo
kind delete cluster -n "${SOLO_CLUSTER_NAME}"
kind create cluster -n "${SOLO_CLUSTER_NAME}"

# Configure cluster
solo cluster-ref config setup \
  --cluster-setup-namespace "${SOLO_CLUSTER_SETUP_NAMESPACE}"
solo cluster-ref config connect \
  --cluster-ref ${SOLO_CLUSTER_NAME} \
  --context kind-${SOLO_CLUSTER_NAME}

# Create deployment
solo deployment config create \
  --namespace "${SOLO_NAMESPACE}" \
  --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}"
solo deployment cluster attach \
  --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}" \
  --cluster-ref ${SOLO_CLUSTER_NAME} \
  --num-consensus-nodes 2

# Generate keys and deploy consensus nodes
solo keys consensus generate \
  --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}" \
  --gossip-keys --tls-keys \
  -i node1,node2
solo consensus network deploy --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}" -i node1,node2
solo consensus node setup --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}" -i node1,node2
solo consensus node start --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}" -i node1,node2

# Add mirror node and explorer
solo mirror node add \
  --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}" \
  --cluster-ref ${SOLO_CLUSTER_NAME} \
  --enable-ingress \
  --pinger
solo explorer node add \
  --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}" \
  --cluster-ref ${SOLO_CLUSTER_NAME}

Note: The --pinger flag in solo mirror node add starts a background service that sends transactions to the network at regular intervals. This is required because mirror node record files are only imported when a new record file is created - without it, the mirror node will appear empty until the next transaction occurs naturally.

Step 2: Access the Mirror Node Explorer

Once Mirror Node is running, open the Hiero Explorer in your browser at:

http://localhost:38080/localnet/dashboard

Note: If you are using Solo 0.62 or earlier, the Explorer is at http://localhost:8080/localnet/dashboard. If that port does not work, check the actual port assigned to your deployment — see Port Reference.

The Explorer lets you browse accounts, transactions, tokens, and contracts on your Solo network in real time.

Step 3: Create Accounts and View Transactions

Create test accounts and observe them appearing in the Explorer:

solo ledger account create --deployment solo-deployment --hbar-amount 100
solo ledger account create --deployment solo-deployment --hbar-amount 100

Open the Explorer at http://localhost:38080/localnet/dashboard (Solo 0.63+) or http://localhost:8080/localnet/dashboard (Solo 0.62 and earlier) to see the new accounts and their transactions recorded by the Mirror Node. If the port does not work, check your actual port assignments — see Port Reference.

You can also use the Hiero JavaScript SDK to create a topic, submit a message, and subscribe to it.

Step 4: Access Mirror Node APIs

Option A: Mirror-Ingress (localhost:38081)

Use localhost:38081 (Solo 0.63+) for all Mirror Node REST API access. The mirror-ingress service routes requests to the correct REST implementation automatically. This is important because certain endpoints are only supported in the newer rest-java version.

# List recent transactions
curl -s "http://localhost:38081/api/v1/transactions?limit=5"

# Get account details
curl -s "http://localhost:38081/api/v1/accounts/0.0.2"

Note: If you are using Solo 0.62 or earlier, use localhost:8081 instead of localhost:38081. localhost:5551 (the legacy Mirror Node REST API direct endpoint) is being phased out. Always use the mirror-ingress port to ensure compatibility with all endpoints.

If you need to access it directly:

kubectl port-forward svc/mirror-1-rest -n "${SOLO_NAMESPACE}" 5551:80 &
curl -s "http://${REST_IP:-127.0.0.1}:5551/api/v1/transactions?limit=1"

Option B: Mirror Node gRPC

For mirror node gRPC subscriptions (e.g. topic messages, account balance updates), enable port-forwarding manually if not already active:

kubectl port-forward svc/mirror-1-grpc -n "${SOLO_NAMESPACE}" 5600:5600 &

Then verify available services:

grpcurl -plaintext "${GRPC_IP:-127.0.0.1}:5600" list

Option C: Mirror Node REST-Java (Direct Access)

For direct access to the rest-java service (bypassing the ingress):

kubectl port-forward service/mirror-1-restjava -n "${SOLO_NAMESPACE}" 8084:80 &

# Example: NFT allowances
curl -s "http://${REST_IP:-127.0.0.1}:8084/api/v1/accounts/0.0.2/allowances/nfts"

In most cases you should use localhost:38081 (Solo 0.63+) or localhost:8081 (Solo 0.62 and earlier) instead.

Port Reference

The ports listed below are Solo’s default targets. Solo checks each port before opening a tunnel — if the port is already in use, Solo picks the next available one and logs Using available port <port>. If an endpoint is not reachable, check the actual ports used by your deployment:

# View the saved port-forward assignments
cat ~/.solo/one-shot-$(cat ~/.solo/cache/last-one-shot-deployment.txt)/forwards

# Or query deployment info directly
solo deployment config info --deployment $(cat ~/.solo/cache/last-one-shot-deployment.txt)

The default local ports depend on your Solo version:

Solo 0.63 and later (current defaults):

Solo 0.62 and earlier:

Restoring Port-Forwards

If port-forwards are interrupted — for example after a system restart — restore them by re-running the relevant component add commands. These commands are idempotent and will reattach port-forwards without redeploying:

solo mirror node add --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}"
solo explorer node add --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}"

Tearing Down

To remove the Mirror Node from a running deployment:

solo mirror node destroy --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}" --force

To remove the Hiero Mirror Node Explorer:

solo explorer node destroy --deployment "${SOLO_DEPLOYMENT}" --force

For full network teardown, see Step-by-Step Manual Deployment-Cleanup.