Set Up Besu Private Blockchain

I need a complete installation and configuration of a private Hyperledger Besu network whose main job is reliable data storage and sharing. I have servers ready (cloud or on-prem) and want a clean, repeatable setup that lets me add nodes later and expose standard JSON-RPC and WebSocket endpoints.

Scope of work
• Install the latest stable Besu release on 3+ nodes (validator and non-validator)
• Create a custom genesis file, bootnodes list, and network ID
• Enable data-storage–focused consensus (IBFT or Clique—whichever you recommend for fast confirmation)
• Configure basic account permissioning and privacy groups if they help our data-sharing use case
• Expose HTTP & WS APIs with CORS and authentication where needed
• Deploy a sample smart contract to prove read/write operations
• Supply all scripts, systemd service files, and a step-by-step runbook so I can reproduce the setup or scale to extra nodes later
• Brief hand-over call to walk through monitoring, log rotation, and backup tips

I prefer Besu, but if Geth or Parity would materially improve stability I’m open to hearing why and how that switch might work.

Deliverables are a running multi-node Besu network, complete configuration files, and concise documentation.