Observer Node Image

Technical documentation for the ASI:Chain observer node Docker image and configuration.

Current DevNet status

The dedicated DevNet observer (mettacycle-devnet-5, IP 54.235.138.68) is currently unstable. Validator 1 (http://34.196.119.4:40403) is used for all read operations until the observer is stabilized.

This page describes how observer nodes are intended to work and how to run your own; for current public read access, use Validator 1.

Overview

Observer nodes use the same Docker image as validators but are configured for read-only operation. They synchronize with the blockchain without participating in consensus.

Official Docker Image

public.ecr.aws/f6y9h6x4/asi-chain/node:latest

Same image as validators, different configuration.

Purpose of Observer Nodes

Observer nodes provide:

• Read Access - Query blockchain data without validation
• API Services - Power external applications
• Monitoring - Track network activity
• Data Distribution - Reduce load on validators

Key Difference from Validators:

• No consensus participation
• No block signing
• No staking required
• Read-only operation

Public Read Access (currently via Validator 1)

While the dedicated observer is unstable, ASI:Chain DevNet provides public read access via Validator 1:

HTTP Endpoint:

http://34.196.119.4:40403

gRPC Endpoint:

34.196.119.4:40401

Indexer GraphQL (preferred for app development):

https://indexer.dev.asichain.io/v1/graphql

Use these for:

• Application development
• Data queries
• Network monitoring
• Testing integrations

Running Your Own Observer

Configuration Example

docker-compose.yml:

version: '3.9'
services:
  observer:
    image: public.ecr.aws/f6y9h6x4/asi-chain/node:latest
    container_name: observer
    ports:
      - "40400:40400"  # Protocol server
      - "40401:40401"  # Public gRPC API
      - "40402:40402"  # Internal gRPC API
      - "40403:40403"  # HTTP API
      - "40404:40404"  # Kademlia discovery
      - "40405:40405"  # Admin HTTP API
    volumes:
      - ./data/observer:/var/lib/rnode/
      - ./conf/observer.conf:/var/lib/rnode/rnode.conf
    environment:
      - OBSERVER_HOST=${OBSERVER_HOST}
    command:
      - "--bootstrap=rnode://0d1312b556db1d3fa4745fd88c29f8e15095621e@54.152.57.201?protocol=40400&discovery=40404"
    restart: unless-stopped

Observer Configuration

observer.conf:

api-server {
  host = ${?OBSERVER_HOST}
  port = 40403
  port-grpc-external = 40401
  port-grpc-internal = 40402
  port-http = 40403
  port-kademlia = 40404
  enable-reporting = true
}

# No casper configuration needed for observer
# Observer doesn't validate or sign blocks

tls {
  certificate-path = "node.certificate.pem"
  key-path = "node.key.pem"
}

.env file:

OBSERVER_HOST=<YOUR-PUBLIC-IP>

System Requirements

Minimum Specifications

• CPU: 2 cores
• RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 250+ GB
• Network: Stable connection

Recommended Specifications

• CPU: 4 cores
• RAM: 16 GB
• Storage: 500+ GB SSD
• Network: 100+ Mbps

Note: Observer nodes require fewer resources than validators since they don't participate in consensus.

API Endpoints

Observer nodes provide full API access:

HTTP API

Status:

curl http://localhost:40403/status

Blocks:

curl http://localhost:40403/blocks

Explore Deploy:

curl -X POST http://localhost:40403/explore-deploy \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"term": "..."}'

gRPC API

List services:

grpcurl -plaintext localhost:40401 list

Use Cases

1. Block Explorers

Connect explorer frontend to observer:

const API_URL = 'http://34.196.119.4:40403';
fetch(`${API_URL}/blocks`)
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(data => console.log(data));

2. Application Backends

Query blockchain state:

curl -X POST http://localhost:40403/explore-deploy \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"term": "new stdout(`rho:io:stdout`) in { stdout!(\"data\") }"}'

3. Monitoring Services

Track network metrics:

# Check status every minute
watch -n 60 'curl -s http://localhost:40403/status'

4. Data Indexing

Build custom indexes:

import requests

def index_blocks():
    response = requests.get('http://34.196.119.4:40403/blocks')
    blocks = response.json()
    # Process and index blocks
    for block in blocks:
        store_in_database(block)

Running the Observer

Start Observer

docker compose -f observer.yml up -d

Monitor Logs

docker logs observer -f

Verify Synchronization

Look for these log messages:

observer | Approved state for block Block #0 restored
observer | Received ForkChoiceTipRequest
observer | Sending tips [...]
observer | Peers: 4

Monitoring

Health Checks

Container status:

docker ps | grep observer

Resource usage:

docker stats observer

Sync status:

curl http://localhost:40403/status | jq '.syncStatus'

Performance Metrics

Monitor:

• CPU usage
• Memory consumption
• Disk I/O
• Network bandwidth
• Block sync rate

Troubleshooting

Synchronization Issues

Reset and resync:

docker compose -f observer.yml down
rm -rf data/observer
docker compose -f observer.yml up -d

Connection Problems

Check bootstrap connectivity:

ping 54.152.57.201
telnet 54.152.57.201 40400

Verify firewall:

sudo ufw status
sudo ufw allow 40400:40405/tcp

API Not Responding

Check if observer is running:

docker ps | grep observer

Check logs for errors:

docker logs observer --tail 100

Test API:

curl -v http://localhost:40403/status

Security Considerations

Public Access

If exposing observer publicly:

• Use reverse proxy (nginx)
• Implement rate limiting
• Add authentication if needed
• Monitor for abuse

Firewall Configuration

Allow necessary ports:

sudo ufw allow 40400:40405/tcp
sudo ufw enable

Or restrict to specific IPs:

sudo ufw allow from <trusted-ip> to any port 40403

Updates

Update Observer Node

docker compose -f observer.yml down
docker pull public.ecr.aws/f6y9h6x4/asi-chain/node:latest
docker compose -f observer.yml up -d

Backup Configuration

Backup these files:

• conf/observer.conf
• .env
• Custom scripts or configs

Blockchain data can be re-synced from the network.

Comparison: Observer vs Validator

Feature	Observer	Validator
Consensus	No	Yes
Block Signing	No	Yes
Read Access	Yes	Yes
Write Access	No	Yes
Staking Required	No	Yes (mainnet)
Resource Needs	Lower	Higher
Purpose	Querying	Validation

Advanced Configuration

Custom Ports

Change port mapping in docker-compose.yml:

ports:
  - "8080:40403"  # Map HTTP API to port 8080

Resource Limits

deploy:
  resources:
    limits:
      cpus: '2.0'
      memory: 8G
    reservations:
      cpus: '1.0'
      memory: 4G

Logging

logging:
  driver: "json-file"
  options:
    max-size: "10m"
    max-file: "3"

Support

For observer node issues:

• DevNet Structure
• Useful Links
• FAQ
• GitHub

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Observer nodes are perfect for applications that need read access without validation responsibilities.