The Steps to setup a Sui Validator are similar to that of running a Sui Fullnode

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System Requirements

These are the recommended requirements given during testnet wave phase.

  • CPUs: 24 physical cores / 48 vCPUs
  • RAM: 128 GB
  • Storage (SSD): 2 TB NVMe drive

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Steps to Setup a Validator

In this walkthough we are going to setup a validator for Mainnet, but the steps remain same for other Sui networks.

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Step 1: Connect to the Server

To connect to your server, use SSH or RDP to access the server terminal, allowing you to run commands directly.

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Step 2: Download and Run Sui Wizard

  • Download the script

    curl --fail --location --output helper.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Scale3-Labs/sui-node-helper/master/helper.sh

  • Give executable permissions

    chmod +x helper.sh

  • Run the script

    If the script prompts to install dependencies, type ‘y’ to install them.

    ./helper.sh

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Step 3: Configure the server for running Sui Mainnet Validator

  • Once you are on the welcome screen, follow the screenshots below for the steps. Press Yes

  • Read the instructions and press Yes to continue.

  • Since we are setting up a Validator, we will select the Validator Node option.

  • Select Setup Validator From Scratch

  • For the next screen, you are asked to choose Sui network, we will choose Mainnet.

  • On the next page there are two fields, you can keep it default.

  1. Release Version or hash

    This is the sui-node version that has to be installed. The values can be either:

    • Github release: sui-v1.0.0, testnet-1.0.0

    • Branch: mainnet, testnet, or devnet

    • Commit Hash: ae1212baf8f0837e25926d941db3d26a61c1bea2, c525ba6489261ff6db65e87bf9a3fdda0a6c7be3

    Avoid using commit hash as much as possible, using Github Release is the easiest and recommended option.

  2. Absolute folder for configs

    Path to the folder where you want to store all your Sui node configs. Configs include validator.yaml, binaries, etc.

    Make sure to remember this path for updating your node in future.

    After pressing OK or hitting enter/return, the download of the Sui binary will start, and once it’s successfully downloaded, the binary version will be displayed.

  • Next step is to setup validator config and keystore. This basically creates client.yaml file which will be used by Sui validator tool aka sui client to interact with Sui network. Once the client file is created, you will have an option to view and edit the file. If you do not have any idea, just keep it default.

    Press tab key to switch between edit text box and OK button.

  • Take the note of Wallet Recovery Phrase for backup purposes. You can either take a screenshot or take a picture from your mobile.

  • This is the step where you provide your validator info (metadata) to the Sui network. This details are shown on Sui explorer dashboards.

    1. Validator Name: This is your company/org or project name
    2. Description: Here you can provide more details on what your company does.
    3. Logo URL: Public URL for your company logo.
    4. Project URL: Company website URL.
    5. Host/IP: DNS name for Validator, or else Public IP of the Validator.
    6. Gas Price: Integer value of the gas price in MIST. To check the current gas price refer Sui explorer: https://suiexplorer.com/

  • Proceed to setting up Sui systemd service. You will now be asked to enter a path for storing data. If you’re unsure about the appropriate value, it’s recommended to keep the default setting.

    The folder path should be directed to a disk with ample free space for storing the Sui Blockchain data.

  • Once the service setup is completed, to become the validator, at first you need to sign up as validator candidate, by selecting Perform Validator Operations.

    When requested, insert the Sui path that you added in “Absolute folder for configs” field during setup.

  • Your next step is to get enough Sui tokens on the validator address.

  • After validator address becomes a validator candidate and you have enough Sui tokens staked, you can make a request to network to become validator by selecting Perform Validator Operations.

    When requested, insert the Sui path that you added in “Absolute folder for configs” field during setup.

  • Any time you can start/stop/restart your validator process using the following command

    systemctl start sui-node
systemctl stop sui-node
systemctl restart sui-node

  • Once you start/restart your sui-node service, you can check the logs by running the following command:

    journalctl -fu sui-node

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Reference

Official Steps to run validator: https://github.com/MystenLabs/sui/blob/main/nre/sui_for_node_operators.md