Validator Node Image

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

Official Docker Image

ASI:Chain validators use the official Docker image hosted on AWS ECR:

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

This image contains:

• RNode implementation (F1R3FLY-based)
• Rholang execution environment
• Consensus engine (CBC Casper)
• Network communication protocols
• API servers (gRPC, HTTP, WebSocket)

Image Contents

Core Components

RNode Binary:

• Located at /opt/docker/bin/rnode
• Main blockchain node executable
• Handles all node operations

Configuration:

• Default config at /var/lib/rnode/rnode.conf
• Can be overridden via volume mounts
• Environment variables supported

Data Directory:

• /var/lib/rnode/ - Main data directory
• Stores blockchain data
• Keeps node state
• Contains generated certificates

Included Libraries

• Scala runtime
• JVM (Java Virtual Machine)
• Cryptographic libraries
• Network protocols
• Storage backends

Using the Image

Pull the Image

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

Basic Container Run

docker run -d \
  --name validator \
  -p 40400:40400 \
  -v ./data:/var/lib/rnode/ \
  -v ./conf/validator.conf:/var/lib/rnode/rnode.conf \
  public.ecr.aws/f6y9h6x4/asi-chain/node:latest \
  --bootstrap=rnode://e5e6faf012f36a30176d459ddc0db81435f6f1dc@54.152.57.201?protocol=40400&discovery=40404

With Docker Compose

Recommended approach using docker-compose.yml:

version: '3.9'
services:
  validator:
    image: public.ecr.aws/f6y9h6x4/asi-chain/node:latest
    container_name: validator
    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:/var/lib/rnode/
      - ./conf/validator.conf:/var/lib/rnode/rnode.conf
    environment:
      - VALIDATOR_PRIVATE_KEY=${VALIDATOR_PRIVATE_KEY}
      - VALIDATOR_HOST=${VALIDATOR_HOST}
    command:
      - "--bootstrap=rnode://e5e6faf012f36a30176d459ddc0db81435f6f1dc@54.152.57.201?protocol=40400&discovery=40404"
    restart: unless-stopped

Configuration

Required Configuration Files

1. validator.conf - Node configuration

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

casper {
  validator-public-key = "<YOUR-PUBLIC-KEY>"
  validator-private-key = "<YOUR-PRIVATE-KEY>"
  fault-tolerance-threshold = 0.99
}

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

2. .env - Environment variables

VALIDATOR_PRIVATE_KEY=<YOUR-PRIVATE-KEY>
VALIDATOR_HOST=<YOUR-PUBLIC-IP>

Volume Mounts

Required volumes:

volumes:
  - ./data:/var/lib/rnode/              # Blockchain data
  - ./conf/validator.conf:/var/lib/rnode/rnode.conf  # Configuration

Optional volumes:

  - ./conf/validator.certificate.pem:/var/lib/rnode/node.certificate.pem
  - ./conf/validator.key.pem:/var/lib/rnode/node.key.pem
  - ./conf/logback.xml:/var/lib/rnode/logback.xml

Note: If certificates are not provided, RNode will auto-generate them on first run.

Port Mapping

All ports must be exposed for proper operation:

Container Port	Host Port	Purpose
40400	40400	Protocol server
40401	40401	Public gRPC API
40402	40402	Internal gRPC API
40403	40403	HTTP API
40404	40404	Peer discovery
40405	40405	Admin interface

Command-Line Arguments

Bootstrap Connection

--bootstrap=rnode://e5e6faf012f36a30176d459ddc0db81435f6f1dc@54.152.57.201?protocol=40400&discovery=40404

This connects your validator to the network via the bootstrap node.

Common Arguments

--host <ip>                    # Public IP address
--data-dir <path>              # Data directory path
--config-file <path>           # Configuration file path
--port <number>                # Protocol port
--standalone                   # Run without bootstrap (genesis only)

Resource Requirements

Minimum Specifications

• CPU: 4 cores
• RAM: 16 GB
• Storage: 250+ GB SSD
• Network: 100 Mbps, low latency

Recommended Specifications

• CPU: 8 cores
• RAM: 32 GB
• Storage: 500+ GB SSD
• Network: 1 Gbps, dedicated

Storage Considerations

Growth Rate:

• Blockchain data grows continuously
• Rate depends on network activity
• Plan for long-term storage needs

Performance:

• SSD strongly recommended
• Fast I/O critical for validator performance
• IOPS matter more than sequential speed

Running the Validator

Start Container

docker compose -f validator.yml up -d

View Logs

docker logs validator -f

Stop Container

docker compose -f validator.yml down

Restart Container

docker compose -f validator.yml restart

Monitoring

Health Checks

Container status:

docker ps -a

Resource usage:

docker stats validator

Logs:

docker logs validator --tail 100 -f

API Endpoints

Status check:

curl http://localhost:40403/status

Peer count: Check logs for: Peers: X

Block height:

curl http://localhost:40403/blocks | jq '.[0].blockNumber'

Troubleshooting

Container Won't Start

Check Docker logs:

docker logs validator

Common issues:

• Port conflicts
• Missing configuration
• Invalid private key
• Insufficient resources

Connection Issues

Verify bootstrap:

ping 54.152.57.201
telnet 54.152.57.201 40400

Check firewall:

sudo ufw status

Synchronization Problems

Reset blockchain data:

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

Updates and Maintenance

Update Image

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

Backup Data

Important files to backup:

• conf/validator.conf - Configuration
• .env - Environment variables
• Private keys (store securely offline)

Blockchain data:

• Can be re-synced from network
• Not critical to backup
• But saves time on recovery

Log Management

Rotate logs:

docker compose -f validator.yml logs --tail=1000 > validator.log

Limit log size in compose:

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

Security Best Practices

Key Management

• Never commit private keys to git
• Store keys in .env file (add to .gitignore)
• Use strong key generation methods
• Backup keys securely offline

Network Security

• Use firewall to restrict access
• Only expose necessary ports
• Consider VPN for admin access
• Monitor for unusual activity

Container Security

• Run as non-root user (if possible)
• Limit container resources
• Regular security updates
• Monitor container logs

Advanced Configuration

Custom Network

For private networks:

docker run ... \
  --standalone \
  --genesis-validator \
  --validator-private-key <key> \
  --validator-public-key <key>

Performance Tuning

JVM options:

environment:
  - JAVA_OPTS=-Xms8g -Xmx16g

Network buffers:

api-server {
  max-message-size = 268435456  # 256 MB
}

Support

For issues with the validator image:

• GitHub Repository
• Docker Hub (if public)
• Setup Guide
• FAQ

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This image is for ASI:Chain DevNet. Always use the latest version for best compatibility.