> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://circular-protocol.gitbook.io/whitepaper/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://circular-protocol.gitbook.io/whitepaper/circular-protocol-architecture/architecture-overview.md).

# Architecture Overview

## Overview

This section provides a technical overview of the Circular Protocol network and node architecture. The name “Circular” reflects a peer-oriented design philosophy in which nodes participate under a common rule set. Nodes run a common protocol implementation to support consistent behavior across the network.

Figure 1 (below) illustrates the high-level architecture, which is designed around validator nodes and a small set of redundant supporting services, including the P2P Discovery Service, the Ticketing System, and Network Access Gateways. These supporting services are designed for redundancy to reduce single points of failure and to avoid becoming system bottlenecks. This architecture is intended to improve reliability and robustness at scale.

The diagram reflects a reference architecture and may vary by deployment.

<figure><img src="/files/Gbwr7iD6vMLbdk7LbM7s" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>


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