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Using Source Code

This is a step-by-step guide to deploy an Aptos validator and validator fullnode (VFN) using source code. Using this guide, the validator and VFN will be deployed on separate machines.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure to read and understand the Node Requirements. Similarly, make sure you have installed the Aptos CLI, as you will need it to setup your nodes.

Deployment Steps​

Default connection to mainnet

If you follow the default setup in this document, then your validator and VFN will be connected to the Aptos mainnet. To connect to a different Aptos network, such as testnet, make sure you select the appropriate source code branch when you build the binary, and download the correct genesis and waypoint files for the network you want to connect to.

  1. Follow the steps in Building Aptos From Source to download the aptos-core repository and source code.

  2. Checkout the mainnet branch using git checkout --track origin/mainnet. Note: if you want to deploy a validator and VFN on another network, use the appropriate branch name (e.g., testnet).

  3. Create a working directory for your Aptos nodes, and pick a username for your nodes, e.g.,

    export WORKSPACE=mainnet
    export USERNAME=alice
    mkdir ~/$WORKSPACE

  4. Generate the key pairs for your nodes in your working directory. You can do this by running the following command with the Aptos CLI:

    aptos genesis generate-keys --output-dir ~/$WORKSPACE/keys

    This will create 4 key files under ~/$WORKSPACE/keys directory:

    • public-keys.yaml: This file contains all public keys for your validator and VFN, as well as your account address.
    • private-keys.yaml: This file contains all private keys for your validator and VFN.
    • validator-identity.yaml: This file contains the public and private keys for your validator, as well as your account address.
    • validator-full-node-identity.yaml: This file contains the public and private keys for your VFN, as well as your account address.
    Backup your private keys

    Your private keys are important for you to establish ownership of your nodes. Never share your private keys with anyone, and make sure to backup private-keys.yaml somewhere safe.

  5. Next, you will need to set your validator configuration. This includes setting the validator and VFN host names, which may be IP addresses or DNS addresses.

    DNS addresses

    Using DNS is recommended over IP addresses, as it enables more efficient node migrations and is more resilient to host changes.

    You can set your validator configuration by running the following command with the Aptos CLI:


    # Replace <validator node IP / DNS address> and <Full Node IP / DNS address> below,
    # with the appropriate IP or DNS address for your nodes.

    cd ~/$WORKSPACE
    aptos genesis set-validator-configuration \
        --local-repository-dir ~/$WORKSPACE \
        --username $USERNAME \
        --owner-public-identity-file ~/$WORKSPACE/keys/public-keys.yaml \
        --validator-host <validator node IP / DNS address>:<Port> \
        --full-node-host <Full Node IP / DNS address>:<Port> \
        --stake-amount 100000000000000

    # For example, if you are using IP addresses:

    aptos genesis set-validator-configuration \
        --local-repository-dir ~/$WORKSPACE \
        --username $USERNAME \
        --owner-public-identity-file ~/$WORKSPACE/keys/public-keys.yaml \
        --validator-host 35.232.235.205:6180 \
        --full-node-host 34.135.169.144:6182 \
        --stake-amount 100000000000000

    # Otherwise, if you are using DNS addresses:

    aptos genesis set-validator-configuration \
        --local-repository-dir ~/$WORKSPACE \
        --username $USERNAME \
        --owner-public-identity-file ~/$WORKSPACE/keys/public-keys.yaml \
        --validator-host bot.aptosdev.com:6180 \
        --full-node-host fn.bot.aptosdev.com:6182 \
        --stake-amount 100000000000000

    Configuring the validator will create two YAML files in the ~/$WORKSPACE/$USERNAME directory: owner.yaml and operator.yaml. These will be useful for connecting your nodes to the Aptos network (later).

  6. Download the following files by following the instructions on the Node Files pages. You will need to select the appropriate network (e.g., mainnet, testnet, devnet) and download the following files:

    • validator.yaml
    • fullnode.yaml
    • genesis.blob
    • waypoint.txt

  7. Next, copy the validator.yaml and fullnode.yaml template files (that were just downloaded) into the ~/$WORKSPACE/config/ directory. This can be done by running the following commands:

    mkdir ~/$WORKSPACE/config
    cp validator.yaml ~/$WORKSPACE/config/validator.yaml
    cp fullnode.yaml ~/$WORKSPACE/config/fullnode.yaml

    These will be the primary configuration files for your validator and VFN, respectively.

  8. Now, modify the validator.yaml and fullnode.yaml template files to contain the appropriate information and working directories for your validator and VFN.

    For the validator.yaml file, you will need to modify the following fields:

    • base.data_dir: The directory where the blockchain data will be stored.
    • base.waypoint: The waypoint for the genesis transaction on the network you are connecting to.
    • consensus.initial_safety_rules_config: The waypoint for the genesis transaction on the network you are connecting to, as well as the validator-identity.yaml file location.
    • execution.genesis_file_location: The genesis blob for the network you are connecting to.
    • validator_network.identity: The validator-identity.yaml file location.

    For the fullnode.yaml file, you will need to modify the following fields:

    • base.data_dir: The directory where the blockchain data will be stored.

    • base.waypoint: The waypoint for the genesis transaction on the network you are connecting to.

    • execution.genesis_file_location: The genesis blob for the network you are connecting to.

    • full_node_networks: - The public network will need to be updated with the validator-full-node-identity.yaml file location. - The vfn network will need to be updated with the correct IP address or DNS address of the validator. For example, if you are using IP addresses, you will need to update the addresses field as follows:

      ---
      addresses:
        - "/ip4/100.100.100.100/tcp/6181/noise-ik/..." # Set the IP Address of the validator

      Otherwise, if you are using DNS addresses, you will need to update the addresses field as follows:

      ---
      addresses:
        - "/dns/example.com/tcp/6181/noise-ik/..." # Set the DNS Address of the validator

  9. To recap, in your working directory (~/$WORKSPACE), you should have a list of files:

    • config folder containing:
      • validator.yaml: The validator config file.
      • fullnode.yaml: The VFN config file.
    • keys folder containing:
      • public-keys.yaml: Public keys for both nodes.
      • private-keys.yaml: Private keys for both nodes.
      • validator-identity.yaml: Key and account information for the validator.
      • validator-full-node-identity.yaml: Key and account information for the VFN.
    • $username folder containing:
      • owner.yaml: The owner, operator and voter mappings.
      • operator.yaml: Validator and VFN operator information.
    • waypoint.txt: The waypoint for the genesis transaction on the network you are connecting to.
    • genesis.blob The genesis blob for the network you are connecting to.

  10. Now that you have set up your configuration files, you can start your validator and VFN. To start your validator, run the following commands, with the paths assuming you are in the root of the aptos-core directory:

    cargo clean
    cargo build -p aptos-node --release
    sudo mv target/release/aptos-node /usr/local/bin
    aptos-node -f ~/$WORKSPACE/config/validator.yaml

    To start your VFN, run the following commands on a separate, dedicated VFN machine. You will need to download the aptos-core source code and build the binary on the VFN machine. Likewise, you will need to copy across the keys and configuration files from the validator machine.

    VFN identity

    You should copy the keys and configuration files across to the VFN machine from the working location where they were generated. Do not attempt to generate another set of keys or files for the VFN, as these will not be recognized by the network.

    Start your VFN by running the following commands, with the paths assuming you are in the root of the aptos-core directory:

    cargo clean
    cargo build -p aptos-node --release
    sudo mv target/release/aptos-node /usr/local/bin
    aptos-node -f ~/$WORKSPACE/config/fullnode.yaml
    Next steps

    You have now completed setting up your validator and VFN using source code. However, your nodes will not be able to connect to the Aptos network just yet.

(Optional) Running as a Service​

If you want to run aptos-node as a service, you can set it up to run as a service controlled by systemctl. This is optional, and can be done using the service template below. You will need to modify the template to match your environment and configuration.

[Unit]
Description=Aptos Node Service

[Service]
User=nodeuser
Group=nodeuser

LimitNOFILE=500000

#Environment="RUST_LOG=error"
WorkingDirectory=/home/nodeuser/aptos-core
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/aptos-node -f /home/nodeuser/aptos-mainnet/config/validator.yaml

Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=3s

StandardOutput=journal
StandardError=journal
SyslogIdentifier=aptos-node

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Connecting to the Aptos Network​

You have now completed setting up your validator and VFN using source code. Proceed to Connect Nodes for the next steps.