Running the nodes

Prepare topology files

This is a basic setup with x.x.x.x and y.y.y.y representing the IP addresses of the stake pool operator's relays:

• The Valency parameter determines the total number of connections to local roots. For instance, if you want a hot connection with both x.x.x.x and y.y.y.y relays, set Valency to 2.

• Avoid using public roots in the block producer setup.

• UseLedgerAfterSlot is configured to be -1 to ensure that ledger peers are never utilized on the block producer.

{
   "localRoots":[
      {
         "accessPoints":[
            {
               "address":"x.x.x.x",
               "port":3000
            },
            {
               "address":"y.y.y.y",
               "port":3000
            }
         ],
         "advertise":false,
         "valency":2
      }
   ],
   "publicRoots":[
      {
         "accessPoints":[
            
         ],
         "advertise":false
      }
   ],
   "useLedgerAfterSlot":-1
}

Relays

• Your relays will connect to the block producer z.z.z.z and to your other relay y.y.y.y.

• Use Valency 2 to tell the node to maintain a hot connection with both nodes.

• Here, you can use IOG relays (or any other trusted peer) under public roots

• Set useLedgerAfterSlot: 1000000. Make sure that the target slot is not too old, in particular, if syncing the chain for the first time.

{
   "localRoots":[
      {
         "accessPoints":[
            {
               "address":"z.z.z.z",
               "port":3000
            },
            {
               "address":"y.y.y.y",
               "port":3000
            }
         ],
         "advertise":false,
         "valency":2
      }
   ],
   "publicRoots":[
      {
         "accessPoints":[
            {
               "address":"preview-node.world.dev.cardano.org",
               "port":30002
            }         
         ],
         "advertise":false
      }
   ],
   "useLedgerAfterSlot":1000000
}

Prepare startup scripts

For the block producer:

#!/bin/bash

# Configuration variables
TOPOLOGY_FILE="configuration/topology.json"
CONFIG_FILE="configuration/config.json"
DATABASE_PATH="db"
SOCKET_PATH="socket/node.socket"
KES_PATH="keys/kes.skey"
VRF_PATH="keys/vrf.skey"
OPCERT_PATH="keys/opcert.cert"
HOST_ADDR="0.0.0.0"
PORT="3000"

cardano-node run \
    --topology "${TOPOLOGY_FILE}" \
    --database-path "${DATABASE_PATH}" \
    --socket-path "${SOCKET_PATH}" \
    --host-addr "${HOST_ADDR}" \
    --shelley-kes-key "${KES_PATH}"  \ 
    --shelley-vrf-key "${VRF_PATH}" \
    --shelley-operational-certificate "${OPCERT_PATH}" \
    --port "${PORT}" \
    --config "${CONFIG_FILE}" 

For the relays:

#!/bin/bash

# Configuration variables
TOPOLOGY_FILE="configuration/topology.json"
CONFIG_FILE="configuration/config.json"
DATABASE_PATH="db"
SOCKET_PATH="socket/node.socket"
HOST_ADDR="0.0.0.0"
PORT="3000"

cardano-node run \
    --topology "${TOPOLOGY_FILE}" \
    --database-path "${DATABASE_PATH}" \
    --socket-path "${SOCKET_PATH}" \
    --host-addr "${HOST_ADDR}" \
    --port "${PORT}" \
    --config "${CONFIG_FILE}"

If you get an error about VRF keys: **** VRF private key file /keylocation/vrf.skey has 'other' file permissions. Please remove all 'other' file permissions. `` Fix it with:

``

chmod 0400 vrf.skey

OR

chmod og-rwx vrf.skey

Set up the Cardano node to run as systemd service

It will be useful to set your time zone to UTC:

sudo timedatectl set-timezone UTC

Create the cardano-node.service file. The example saves it on /etc/systemd/system/:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/cardano-node.service

# The Cardano node service (part of systemd)
# file: /etc/systemd/system/cardano-node.service

 [Unit]
Description       = Cardano Node Service
Wants             = network-online.target
After             = network-online.target

[Service]
User=clr
Type=simple
WorkingDirectory=/home/clr
ExecStart=/home/clr/startnode.sh
KillSignal=SIGINT
RestartKillSignal=SIGINT
TimeoutStopSec=300
LimitNOFILE=32768
Restart=always
RestartSec=5
SyslogIdentifier=cardano-node

 [Install]
WantedBy          = multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable cardano-node.service

Useful systemctl commands:

systemctl --help
systemctl [OPTIONS...] COMMAND ...


Query or send control commands to the system manager:

Unit commands:
  list-units [PATTERN...]             List units currently in memory
  list-sockets [PATTERN...]           List socket units currently in memory,
                                      ordered by address
  list-timers [PATTERN...]            List timer units currently in memory,
                                      ordered by next elapse
  start UNIT...                       Start (activate) one or more units
  stop UNIT...                        Stop (deactivate) one or more units
  reload UNIT...                      Reload one or more units
  restart UNIT...                     Start or restart one or more units
  try-restart UNIT...                 Restart one or more units if active
  reload-or-restart UNIT...           Reload one or more units if possible,
                                      otherwise, start or restart
  try-reload-or-restart UNIT...       If active, reload one or more units,
                                      if supported, otherwise, restart
  isolate UNIT                        Start one unit and stop all others
  kill UNIT...                        Send a signal to processes of a unit
  clean UNIT...                       Clean runtime, cache, state, logs or
                                      configuration of a unit
  is-active PATTERN...                Check whether units are active
  is-failed PATTERN...                Check whether units are failed
  status [PATTERN...|PID...]          Show the runtime status of one or more units

For example:

sudo systemctl stop cardano-node.service

sudo systemctl start cardano-node.service

Use journalctl to inspect your node logs:

Follow the logs in real-time:

journalctl --unit=cardano-node --follow

Show only the actual message (pure node logs) without any metadata from journalctl:

journalctl --unit=cardano-node --follow --output=cat

Filter logs from a specific date:

journalctl --unit=cardano-node --since=today

Delete old logs:

sudo journalctl --vacuum-time=5d

Useful resources: \

https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/systemctl.1.html

https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/journalctl.1.html