Setup a validator node on CORD

Note

The most common way for a beginner to run a validator is on a cloud server running Linux. You may choose whatever VPS provider that your prefer. As OS it is best to use a recent Ubuntu Linux. For this guide we will be using Ubuntu 22.04, but the instructions should be similar for other platforms.

A validator node in blockchain is the esteemed guardian of trust and security. It plays a crucial role in the consensus mechanism, validating transactions and ensuring their legitimacy. This distinguished entity is empowered to participate in block creation and verification, contributing to the decentralized and unalterable nature of the blockchain network.

Using Docker for Validator Node

Docker Info
💡 Install Docker

Follow the official Docker installation guide here to set up Docker on your machine.

📌 Post-installation steps for Docker

post-installation procedures here shows you how to configure your host machine to work better with Docker.

1. Update and Upgrade packages

sudo apt update -y && sudo apt upgrade -y

2. The following command creates a directory called “cord” in the root directory, gives ownership of the directory to the user who executed the command, and grants rwx access on that directory.

sudo mkdir /cord && sudo chown $USER /cord && sudo chmod 777 /cord

Tip

Make sure cord directory have rwx (read,write,execute) permissions.

3. Generate node key and store it in cord directory

cd /cord && docker run -i -v $(pwd):/cord dhiway/cord:develop key generate-node-key --file /cord/node.key

Caution

This above command gives the output of public information of nodeKey, in a format similar to 12D3KooWMzmZ2g7LBPQuTBsb2HVTszsAToSzXuJJNQzHvbPKWbnq. This also needs to be stored securely. Additionally, please be aware that ‘generate-node-key’ generates a new random key with each invocation.

Note

In a ledger, each process is not just identified by ‘IP’, but with a specific node-key too, so IP address can change for the given process over time, but node-key is considered as the exact process w.r.to ledger.

4. Download the chain specification into cord directory

#for linux:
cd /cord && wget -c https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dhiway/confidex/main/confidex-alpha.json

#for mac:
cd /cord && curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dhiway/confidex/main/confidex-alpha.json

5. Run CORD using the following command. name-you-see-in-telemetry should be changed to name of your choice before running the command

sudo docker run --detach --restart unless-stopped -v /cord:/cord --name cord --network host dhiway/cord:dev_9 --name name-you-see-in-telemetry --validator --pruning=archive --base-path /cord/ --chain /cord/confidex-alpha.json --node-key-file /cord/node.key --port 30333 --rpc-port 9933 --prometheus-port 9615 --rpc-methods=Safe --rpc-cors all --prometheus-external

Tip

Make sure in the above docker command you have mentioned the name of your node.key file present in cord directory.

6. If the CORD is up and running, run the following command by replacing secret seed with the secret you generated during the account creation

sudo docker run -v /cord:/cord --rm dhiway/cord:develop \
  key generate-session-keys \
  --chain=/cord/confidex-alpha.json \
  --suri "secret seed" \
  -d /cord/

Caution

Please ensure that you save a copy of this output in a secure location.

Example Output :

grandpa: 5CCp44U6w7BGXKCt1EY2PdfEFho2Y8qWLyXsd9KuqmahV
babe: 5EnkejRbLk2EJQf3aUBEteDwcShu2dGDSAz4z83xQJfZ
im_online: 5EnkejRbk2EEJQfaUBEwnteDwcShudGDS9Az4z83xQJfZ
authority_discovery: 5EnkejRbLkEEJQf3aUBEwnteDwchudGDS9Az4z83xQJfZ
Session Keys: 0x062ed27ca074ed7075095f89d9649171eeceeacd88a9df63590df0a9dc783c3788a2e14774d0f0bccc4afb0bc43d1813de894001d6ff5c3423b90ef9e6c55b78a2e14774d0f0bccc4afb0bc43d1813de894001d6ff5c83423b90ef9e6c55b788a2e14774df0bccc4afb0bc43d1813de894001d6ff5c83423b90ef9e6c55b

7. Check logs

sudo docker logs container-id

To verify that your node is live and synchronized, head to https://telemetry.cord.network and find your node. Note that this will show all nodes on the CORD network, which is why it is important to select a unique name!