PoS Validator Setup

This guide will help you set up a validator node for the Vana Proof-of-Stake (PoS) network using Docker.

https://docs.vana.org/vana/core-concepts/roles/propagators

1. Prerequisites

You need to submit deposits for each validator at least 35,000 VANA on Moksha testnet. This process stakes your VANA and registers your validator(s) with the network

Hardware requirements for Testnet​

• 2-core CPU

• 8 GB RAM

• 100 GB high-speed SSD

• x86-64 architecture

These hardware requirements are rough guidelines, and each node operator should monitor their node to ensure good performance for the intended task.

• Docker: Install Docker

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg
echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io
docker version

• Docker Compose: Install Docker Compose

VER=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/docker/compose/releases/latest | grep tag_name | cut -d '"' -f 4)
curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/"$VER"/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
docker-compose --version

• OpenSSL: Install via your package manager:

sudo apt-get install openssl

2. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/vana-com/vana.git
cd vana

3. Configure your environment:

cp .env.example .env

Edit .env with your preferred text editor

nano .env

4. Choose your setup:

a. For running a node without a validator:

Edit the .env file to set the USE_VALIDATOR variable to false. It is recommended to use GETH_SYNCMODE=snap and to update the Prysm variables to match, per the comments in the .env.example file. Then run the following commands:

docker compose --profile init --profile node up -d

b. For running a validator node:

Edit the .env file to set the USE_VALIDATOR variable to true and set the DEPOSIT_* variables to the appropriate values. Then run the following commands:

Generate validator keys (interactive process):

docker compose --profile init --profile manual run --rm validator-keygen

Setting an Eth1 address as your withdrawal address:

Create a password that secures your validator keystore(s):

Save your mnemonic carefully:

Follow the prompts to set a secure password. Save the mnemonic phrases securely; you'll need these to recover your wallet if needed.

Verify your mnemonic phrase

Check config:

docker compose logs check-config

Start all services including the validator:

docker compose --profile init --profile validator up -d

View logs for specific key services:

docker compose --profile=init --profile=node logs -f geth
docker compose --profile=init --profile=node logs -f beacon
docker compose --profile=init --profile=node logs -f validator

Wait for beacon chain full synced

Submit deposits for your validator

You need to submit deposits for each validator at least 35,000 VANA on Moksha testnet. This process stakes your VANA and registers your validator(s) with the network

docker compose --profile init --profile manual run --rm submit-deposits

Check block sync left:

LOCAL_RPC="http://localhost:$(grep HTTP_PORT ~/vana/.env | cut -d '=' -f2)"
REMOTE_RPC="https://rpc-moksha-vana.josephtran.xyz/"
get_block_number() {
    curl -s -X POST "$1" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}' | \
    jq -r '.result' | \
    xargs -I{} printf "%d" {}
}
while true; do 
    local_height=$(get_block_number $LOCAL_RPC)
    network_height=$(get_block_number $REMOTE_RPC)
    blocks_left=$((network_height - local_height))
    echo -e "\033[1;38mYour node height:\033[0m \033[1;34m$local_height\033[0m | \033[1;35mNetwork height:\033[0m \033[1;36m$network_height\033[0m | \033[1;29mBlocks left:\033[0m \033[1;31m$blocks_left\033[0m"
    sleep 5
done

# Advanced Usage

The docker-compose.yml file provides several additional capabilities for managing your Vana PoS validator node. Here are some useful commands and their purposes:

Profiles

Different profiles are available for various operations:

• init: Initialize clients, generate secrets

• node: Run the main node services

• validator: Run validator-specific services

• manual: For manual operations like key generation

• delete: Delete data, e.g. to reset the chain so you can re-sync

You can combine profiles as needed. Whenever a service depends on another service, you must include the dependent profile.

For example, to start the node, you must include the init and node profiles:

#Start node
docker compose --profile init --profile node up -d

#Stop node
docker compose --profile init --profile node down

Key Management

Generate validator keys (interactive process):

docker compose --profile init --profile manual run --rm validator-keygen

Import validator keys:

docker compose run --rm validator-import

Deleting Data

To delete all data/ (does not remove generated secrets/):

docker compose --profile delete run --rm delete-all

To delete execution or consensus layer data:

docker compose --profile delete run --rm delete-geth
docker compose --profile delete run --rm delete-prysm

Configuration Check

Run a configuration check:

docker compose --profile=init --profile=node run --rm check-config

Individual Services

You can start, stop, or restart individual services:

docker compose --profile=init --profile=node up -d geth
docker compose --profile=init --profile=node stop beacon
docker compose --profile=init --profile=node restart validator

Viewing Logs

View logs for specific services:

docker compose --profile=init --profile=node logs geth
docker compose --profile=init --profile=node logs beacon
docker compose --profile=init --profile=node logs validator

Add -f to follow the logs in real-time:

docker compose --profile=init --profile=node logs -f geth

Use grep to filter for specific events:

docker compose --profile=init --profile=node logs -f geth 2>&1 | grep 'Looking for peers'
docker compose --profile=init --profile=node logs -f beacon 2>&1 | grep 'Synced new block'
docker compose --profile=init --profile=node logs -f validator 2>&1 | grep 'Submitted new'