Operators

Operators who wish to run node infrastructure on a Casper network, either as a standalone private network, or as part of the public network should explore this section.

Prior knowledge of Unix-based operating systems and proficiency with systemd and bash scripting are recommended. If you are unfamiliar with systemd, the Arch Linux page on systemd is a good introduction.

Requirements

1. Operators should know the Hardware requirements before running a node.

2. Also, the Network requirements specify how to open ports and modify the network firewall to which the node is connected. This step is necessary to allow incoming connections, enabling communication among nodes.

Table of Contents

Review the node's configuration first.

Then, you can follow the node installation instructions.

• Setting up a Node
  • Recommended Hardware Specifications: system requirements for the Casper Mainnet and Testnet
  • Basic Node Configuration: processes and files involved in setting up a Casper node
  • Installing a Node: step-by-step instructions to install a Casper node
  • Setting the Open Files Limit: required setting for the Casper node to run correctly
  • Upgrading the Node: before joining the network, the node needs to be upgraded
  • Joining a Running Network: steps to join an existing Casper network
  • Setting up a Non-Root User: logging into the node remotely using a key
• Becoming a Validator
  • Bonding as a Validator: a guide about the bonding process and submitting a bid
  • Unbonding as a Validator: the process to withdraw a bid and unbonding
• Setting up a Network
  • The Chain Specification: files needed to create a genesis block
  • Setting up a Private Casper Network: a step-by-step guide to establishing and configuring a private Casper network
  • Staging Files for a New Network: a guide to hosting protocol files for a new Casper network
• Advanced Topics
  • Archiving and Restoring a Database: using zstd for the compression and decompression of a Casper node database and streaming from a backup location
  • Moving a Validating Node: ways to move a validator node to another machine