Deprecation of the Insecure Hedera Consensus Service (HCS) Mirror Node Endpoints
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Jun 07, 2024
by Michiel Mulders
Developer Relations

Hedera is announcing the deprecation of the insecure Hedera Consensus Service (HCS) mirror node endpoints. This change is part of our ongoing commitment to enhance security and ensure the reliability of our services.

What’s the Change?

The APIs have transitioned from the legacy hcs.<env>.mirrornode.hedera.com:5600 endpoints to the new <env>.mirrornode.hedera.com:443 endpoints. Older SDK versions are also affected by this change as they use the legacy HCS mirror node endpoints.

  • Old: hcs.previewnet.mirrornode.hedera.com:5600
    New:
     previewnet.mirrornode.hedera.com:443
  • Old: hcs.testnet.mirrornode.hedera.com:5600
    New: testnet.mirrornode.hedera.com:443
  • Old: hcs.mainnet.mirrornode.hedera.com:5600
    New: mainnet.mirrornode.hedera.com:443

Who’s Affected?

The deprecation will impact the following groups:

  • Developers on Previewnet or Testnet: This change will affect you if you use proxies to access the HCS mirror node endpoints.
  • Exchanges and Wallets on Mainnet: Those utilizing the gRPC port 5600 to access the endpoints must transition to the new secure TLS ports.
  • SDK Users: Users of SDK versions lower than those listed below need to update to ensure continued functionality.

In general, anyone relying on the gRPC port 5600 to access HCS mirror node endpoints should prepare for this change.

Deprecation Timeline

  • Initial Notifications: Week of June 10th

  • Mid-cycle Reminder: Week of September 9th

  • Actual Deprecation: Week of November 11th (6 months from the initial notification)

Positive Impact of Deprecation

The deprecation of the HCS mirror node endpoints is a positive step towards:

  • Enhanced Security: Deprecating the insecure gRPC port and domain in favor of secure TLS domains and ports.

  • Improved Reliability: Ensuring all traffic is routed through secure and reliable channels.

By upgrading to the new endpoints, users will benefit from increased security and stability, ensuring a better overall experience when interacting with Hedera services.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this transition period. If you have any questions or need support, please reach out on Discord.