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Before Starting

Introduction​

Soarchain is a blockchain network powered by Tendermint Core, relying on validators to maintain its integrity and security. Validators, who are full node operators, participate in the consensus protocol and are incentivized with $SOAR tokens. This guide provides a brief overview of becoming a validator and setting up a full node for Soarchain.

Before Starting​

Understanding Validators:​

  • Validators verify and validate new blocks on the Soarchain blockchain.
  • To become a validator, bond the native $SOAR token.
  • Validators earn rewards in $SOAR, sharing a commission with their delegators.

Full Nodes:​

  • Running a full node helps broadcast transactions and maintain network connectivity.
  • As the network grows, continuous maintenance and updates are required.

Hardware Prerequisites​

For a Testnet full node, ensure the following minimum hardware requirements:

  • CPU: 8-core (4 physical cores), x86_64 architecture.
  • Memory: 16 GB RAM.
  • Storage: 250 GB SSD.
  • Network: 100 Mbps Download/Upload.

Network Configuration​

Before setting up the software dependencies, ensure the following network ports are available:

  • gRPC server: Port 9090 open for gRPC server communication.
  • REST server: Port 1317 open for REST server requests.
  • Tendermint RPC endpoint: Ports 26657 and 26656 open for Tendermint RPC connections.

Additionally, configure the Uncomplicated Firewall (ufw) to allow traffic on these ports:

sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
sudo ufw allow 9090/tcp
sudo ufw allow 1317/tcp
sudo ufw allow 26657/tcp
sudo ufw allow 26656/tcp

This configures the firewall to only allow incoming connections on the gRPC, REST, and Tendermint RPC ports while keeping all other ports closed to public communication. Ensure you have allowed SSH (port 22 by default) to maintain remote access to the server.

Setting Up Dependencies​

Update and Upgrade OS:​

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Build Requirements:​

sudo apt install git build-essential ufw curl jq snapd --yes

Install Go 1.18:​

Soarchain uses Go 1.18 for compiling code.

wget -q -O - https://git.io/vQhTU | bash -s -- --version 1.18.1

Configure Go PATH:​

Add Go binaries to your system path.

echo "export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin:$HOME/go/bin" >> $HOME/.bash_profile
source $HOME/.bashrc

Verify Go Installation:​

Check the installed Go version.

go version # Expected: go1.18.1 linux/amd64

Conclusion​

This guide provides a high-level overview of setting up a full node for Soarchain, from understanding the roles of validators and full nodes to configuring the necessary hardware and software dependencies. As Soarchain evolves, staying updated with the latest requirements and best practices is crucial for node administrators.