Set up a Vara Validator with OnFinality
How to Set Up A Validator For Vara with OnFinality
OnFinality is a blockchain infrastructure platform that saves web3 builders time and makes their lives easier. We deliver easy-to-use, reliable and scalable API endpoints for the biggest blockchain networks and empower developers to automatically test, deploy, scale and monitor their own blockchain nodes in minutes.
We are already supporting over 100 networks across Layer-1 ecosystems such as Ethereum, Polkadot, Avalanche and Cosmos, and are continuously expanding these mission-critical services to other ecosystems to help developers build the decentralised future, faster!
Introduction
In this How-To Guide, you will learn how to set up your own Validator forVara network. This guide should be used alongside Vara's official guide which is kept up to date and includes more detail.
What is Vara?
Vara was designed to be an advanced environment for Web 3.0 applications — removing many of the barriers to access associated with building, deploying, and operating dApps.
Vara's gasless transactions and use of established concepts from the Web2 world like persistent memory, actor model, and parallel processing make it easy to develop for, painless to migrate to, and completely frictionless for users.
Why Run A Validator For Vara
Validators are essential contributors to a successful blockchain network. When chosen to be part of a validator set, they help produce blocks and receive rewards for their contributions to the platform.
Holding such responsibility requires careful commitment from each validator because of personal and nominator stakes that may be at risk; however, working as a network validator is also highly rewarding!
Check out the Vara Validator Dashboard that provides statistical information about the existing validators, including their status, installed node version, hardware details, staking info, slashing history, and more.
Useful Links
Vara’s Official Validator Guide
Disclaimer
Running a Validator comes with a high risk and requires a high level of technical knowledge and skill. As per our Terms of Service, OnFinality is neither responsible for any rewards nor losses incurred when running a Validator node on OnFinality. Users should read and fully understand the relevant documentation for the Network (Vara) before setting up the node, and get in touch directly with the Network if they have any questions or concerns.
HOW TO SET UP A VARA VALIDATOR
1. Log In To OnFinality
Create an account and log in to OnFinality, then add a payment method.
2. Create Dedicated Node
Select the Dedicated Nodes menu and press “Deploy New Node”
2.1 Select Network
Search for Vara and then click “Deploy Node”
2.2 Configure Vara Node
Enter an easily identifiable Display Name and select the Validator Node Type. Select the latest Image Version, and the Region you wish to run the node
Lightning Restore gets the node running as fast as possible.
Use at least the recommended configuration suggested by the network, then press “Next”
2.3 Configure Launch Arguments
Next, review the node’s Launch Configuration. The recommended settings are usually sufficient, but we recommend comparing with official documentation to be certain.
Important! — rpc-methods must be set to “Unsafe” while configuring the collator on chain, then changed to “Safe” once the setup is complete.
Press “Next” at the bottom of the screen
2.4 Review Node
Finally, review the node’s settings and press “Deploy Node”
3. Sync Your Dedicated Node
Once your node is successfully deployed, you can find it in the “Dedicated Nodes” section on our portal. Click on your node and confirm the following:
Relay chain/parachain blocks are syncing appropriately
No configuration errors in the console log. You can find your console by clicking on “Console logs” on the top right hand.
CPU, Memory, and Storage are within reasonable range of use.
You can cross-reference the respective network blocks on the Vara Network Explorer.
Confirm that the Syncing Status is Synced before continuing
4. Set Up Accounts
Create a Vara account and ensure it has enough funds to pay the transaction fee, plus the minimum stake required to run a Vara validator.
The minimum self-stake required to become an active Validator is currently 100,000 VARA, but it is subject to change over time. Check the official validator guide for updates
5. Generate Session Keys
Session keys are what links the validator or collator to your account.
First, locate your Dedicated Node’s RPC endpoints under API Endpoints. Access is secured by an API Key at the end of the URL, so keep it safe and private.
Generate the session keys on your Dedicated Node in your CLI via the author_rotateKeys RPC Request, using your Dedicated Node’s RPC — Http url.
Example request
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"id":1, "jsonrpc":"2.0", "method": "author_rotateKeys", "params":[]}' 'https://node-....onfinality.io/jsonrpc?apikey=...'
You will get a response like this
{
“jsonrpc”: “2.0”,
“result”:”0xc05a9d093e4db4c1bde31977716e7a0a39d6f3d1f1bf749e7fec8371147de730af6860aeef81a11130c9fcd317b96e736f6c36141c28f382a18f9faf6e7df797eaa951ead00d12db10937003f0956e3d3444d1774d452ed045dbc1b84d1bf1471abf5d77bf5033845f01be1188a852c6f0ba703042b4d06d14314841c1096c50",
“id”:1
}
The content after “result” is the session keys of your validator node - copy and save it
6. Set Up Validator On Chain
Once your node is live, synchronized, and appears in telemetry, and session keys are prepared, it's time to set up the validator.
Go to Polkadot.{js} app and navigate to Network → Staking → Account actions section and click +Validator:
Choose your stash and controller accounts and specify your stake amount. It's recommended to utilize distinct accounts both stash and controller.
INFO
The minimum self-stake required to become an active Validator is currently 100,000 VARA, but it is subject to change over time. Check the official validator guide for updates
Set the session key from step 5, and reward commission.
Sign the transaction. Ensure you're added to the stash account and wait for the next Era to start. Once it begins, the network will add your validator if it meets the network’s requirements
Congratulations!
You’ve successfully set up your validator node. If you encounter challenges or need help — reach out in the Validators Chat!
More Resources
Developer documentation:
https://documentation.onfinality.io/support/
Monitoring your OnFinality Node: https://documentation.onfinality.io/support/visualise-node-metrics
About OnFinality
OnFinality is a blockchain infrastructure platform that saves web3 builders time and makes their lives easier. OnFinality delivers scalable API endpoints for the biggest blockchain networks and empowers developers to automatically test, deploy, scale and monitor their own blockchain nodes in minutes. To date, OnFinality has served over 300 billion RPC requests across 70 networks including Polkadot, Ethereum, Moonbeam, Astar, Avalanche and Cosmos, and is continuously expanding these mission-critical services so developers can build the decentralised future, faster!