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Running & Maintaining

Proper maintenance ensures that your Helios node runs efficiently, stays synchronized with the network, and remains secure against threats. This guide covers essential maintenance tasks, upgrading procedures, and the additional steps required to run a validator node.

1. Monitoring Your Node​

Checking Node Status​

Use the following command to check if your node is synchronized:

heliades status | jq .sync_info

Viewing Logs in Real Time​

Monitor logs to detect errors, peer connection issues, or sync delays:

tail -f ~/.heliades/logs/helios.log

For system-wide logs:

journalctl -u helios-node -f

Checking Network Peers​

To view connected peers:

heliades tendermint show-peers

2. Keeping Your Node Updated​

Checking for Software Updates​

Regularly pull the latest changes from the Helios repository:

cd ~/helios-core
git pull origin main
make install

After updating, verify the version:

heliades version

If using Docker, update your node by pulling the latest image:

docker pull heliosnetwork/helios-node:latest
docker stop helios-node
docker rm helios-node
docker run -d --name helios-node -p 26656:26656 -p 26657:26657 heliosnetwork/helios-node

Restarting the Node After an Update​

systemctl restart helios-node

To ensure the node runs on startup:

sudo systemctl enable helios-node

3. Running a Validator Node​

Validators secure the Helios network by verifying transactions and producing blocks. To become a validator, you must stake whitelisted assets, maintain high uptime, and follow governance protocols.

Validator Requirements​

  • Must stake a minimum amount of whitelisted assets (ETH, ATOM, etc.).
  • Must maintain at least 95% uptime to avoid reputation loss.
  • Reputation score impacts validator selection and rewards.

Registering as a Validator​

  1. Create a Validator Key
heliades keys add <validator-name> --keyring-backend file
  1. Register as a Validator
heliades tx staking create-validator   --amount=1000helios   --pubkey=$(heliades tendermint show-validator)   --moniker="<your-validator-name>"   --chain-id=helios-mainnet   --commission-rate="0.10"   --commission-max-rate="0.20"   --commission-max-change-rate="0.05"   --min-self-delegation="1"   --from=<wallet-name>   --gas=auto --fees=5000helios

Monitoring Validator Performance​

  • Check validator status: 
    heliades query staking validator <your-validator-address>
  • View missed blocks: 
    heliades query slashing signing-info <your-validator-address>

4. Handling Slashing and Penalties​

Validators can be slashed (lose stake) for the following reasons:

  • Downtime: If a validator remains offline for too long.
  • Double Signing: Attempting to sign conflicting blocks.
  • Malicious Activity: Any attempt to manipulate the network.

Checking Slashing Events​

heliades query slashing signing-info <your-validator-address>

Recovering from Slashing​

If slashed due to downtime:

heliades tx slashing unjail --from=<wallet-name> --chain-id=helios-mainnet --fees=5000helios

To prevent further slashing, ensure your node is online and up to date.

5. Best Practices for Long-Term Node Operation​

Use a Dedicated Server​

For best performance, use a dedicated machine with stable internet and SSD storage.

Enable Auto-Restart​

Prevent downtime by configuring systemd to restart the node automatically:

sudo systemctl enable --now helios-node

Set Up Alerts for Downtime​

Use monitoring tools like Prometheus & Grafana to detect issues early.

Secure Your Node​

  • Use a firewall to block unauthorized access: 
    sudo ufw allow 26656,26657/tcp
    sudo ufw enable
  • Keep keys safe and never expose private validator keys.
  • Regularly update your node to stay in sync with network changes.

Conclusion​

By maintaining and upgrading your node properly, you ensure:

  • High uptime and better rewards.
  • Avoidance of penalties and slashing.
  • A secure and stable contribution to the Helios blockchain.