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  5. Step by Step Guide

Step by Step Guide

Advanced User Guide

For those who would like to have more control or need some customized setups, here are some step by step instructions of how to setup and deploy a solo network.

Setup Kubernetes cluster

Remote cluster

  • You may use remote kubernetes cluster. In this case, ensure kubernetes context is set up correctly.
kubectl config use-context <context-name>

Local cluster

  • You may use kind or microk8s to create a cluster. In this case, ensure your Docker engine has enough resources (e.g. Memory >=8Gb, CPU: >=4). Below we show how you can use kind to create a cluster

First, use the following command to set up the environment variables:

export SOLO_CLUSTER_NAME=solo
export SOLO_NAMESPACE=solo
export SOLO_CLUSTER_SETUP_NAMESPACE=solo-cluster

Then run the following command to set the kubectl context to the new cluster:

kind create cluster -n "${SOLO_CLUSTER_NAME}"

Example output

Creating cluster "solo" ...
 ✓ Ensuring node image (kindest/node:v1.29.1) 🖼
 ✓ Preparing nodes 📦 
 ✓ Writing configuration 📜
 ✓ Starting control-plane 🕹️
 ✓ Installing CNI 🔌
 ✓ Installing StorageClass 💾
Set kubectl context to "kind-solo"
You can now use your cluster with:

kubectl cluster-info --context kind-solo

Thanks for using kind! 😊

You may now view pods in your cluster using k9s -A as below:

 Context: kind-solo                                <0> all   <a>       Attach       <ctr… ____  __.________
 Cluster: kind-solo                                          <ctrl-d>  Delete       <l>  |    |/ _/   __   \______
 User:    kind-solo                                          <d>       Describe     <p>  |      < \____    /  ___/
 K9s Rev: v0.32.5                                            <e>       Edit         <shif|    |  \   /    /\___ \
 K8s Rev: v1.27.3                                            <?>       Help         <z>  |____|__ \ /____//____  >
 CPU:     n/a                                                <shift-j> Jump Owner   <s>          \/            \/
 MEM:     n/a
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────── Pods(all)[11] ─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ NAMESPACE↑          NAME                                        PF READY STATUS   RESTARTS IP          NODE     │
│ solo-setup     console-557956d575-4r5xm                    ●  1/1   Running         0 10.244.0.5  solo-con │
│ solo-setup     minio-operator-7d575c5f84-8shc9             ●  1/1   Running         0 10.244.0.6  solo-con │
│ kube-system         coredns-5d78c9869d-6cfbg                    ●  1/1   Running         0 10.244.0.4  solo-con │
│ kube-system         coredns-5d78c9869d-gxcjz                    ●  1/1   Running         0 10.244.0.3  solo-con │
│ kube-system         etcd-solo-control-plane                     ●  1/1   Running         0 172.18.0.2  solo-con │
│ kube-system         kindnet-k75z6                               ●  1/1   Running         0 172.18.0.2  solo-con │
│ kube-system         kube-apiserver-solo-control-plane           ●  1/1   Running         0 172.18.0.2  solo-con │
│ kube-system         kube-controller-manager-solo-control-plane  ●  1/1   Running         0 172.18.0.2  solo-con │
│ kube-system         kube-proxy-cct7t                            ●  1/1   Running         0 172.18.0.2  solo-con │
│ kube-system         kube-scheduler-solo-control-plane           ●  1/1   Running         0 172.18.0.2  solo-con │
│ local-path-storage  local-path-provisioner-6bc4bddd6b-gwdp6     ●  1/1   Running         0 10.244.0.2  solo-con │
│                                                                                                                 │
│                                                                                                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Step by Step Instructions

  • Initialize solo directories:
# reset .solo directory
rm -rf ~/.solo

solo init
  • Example output

******************************* Solo *********************************************
Version			: 0.33.0
Kubernetes Context	: kind-solo
Kubernetes Cluster	: kind-solo
**********************************************************************************
✔ Setup home directory and cache
✔ Check dependency: helm [OS: linux, Release: 5.15.0-125-generic, Arch: x64]
✔ Check dependencies
✔ Setup chart manager

***************************************************************************************
Note: solo stores various artifacts (config, logs, keys etc.) in its home directory: /home/runner/.solo
If a full reset is needed, delete the directory or relevant sub-directories before running 'solo init'.
***************************************************************************************
✔ Copy templates in '/home/runner/.solo/cache'
  • Generate pem formatted node keys
solo node keys --gossip-keys --tls-keys -i node1,node2,node3
  • Example output

******************************* Solo *********************************************
Version			: 0.33.0
Kubernetes Context	: kind-solo
Kubernetes Cluster	: kind-solo
**********************************************************************************
✔ Initialize
✔ Backup old files
✔ Gossip key for node: node1
✔ Gossip key for node: node2
✔ Gossip key for node: node3
✔ Generate gossip keys
✔ Backup old files
✔ TLS key for node: node3
✔ TLS key for node: node2
✔ TLS key for node: node1
✔ Generate gRPC TLS Keys
✔ Finalize

PEM key files are generated in ~/.solo/keys directory.

hedera-node1.crt    hedera-node3.crt    s-private-node1.pem s-public-node1.pem  unused-gossip-pem
hedera-node1.key    hedera-node3.key    s-private-node2.pem s-public-node2.pem  unused-tls
hedera-node2.crt    hedera-node4.crt    s-private-node3.pem s-public-node3.pem
hedera-node2.key    hedera-node4.key    s-private-node4.pem s-public-node4.pem
  • Setup cluster with shared components
solo cluster setup -s "${SOLO_CLUSTER_SETUP_NAMESPACE}"
  • Example output

******************************* Solo *********************************************
Version			: 0.33.0
Kubernetes Context	: kind-solo
Kubernetes Cluster	: kind-solo
**********************************************************************************
✔ Initialize
✔ Prepare chart values
✔ Install 'solo-cluster-setup' chart

In a separate terminal, you may run k9s to view the pod status.

  • Deploy helm chart with Hedera network components

It may take a while (5~15 minutes depending on your internet speed) to download various docker images and get the pods started.

If it fails, ensure you have enough resources allocated for Docker engine and retry the command.

solo network deploy -i node1,node2,node3 -n "${SOLO_NAMESPACE}"
  • Example output

******************************* Solo *********************************************
Version			: 0.33.0
Kubernetes Context	: kind-solo
Kubernetes Cluster	: kind-solo
Kubernetes Namespace	: solo
**********************************************************************************
✔ Acquire lease - lease acquired successfully, attempt: 1/10
✔ Initialize
✔ Load remote config - remote config not found
✔ Check if cluster setup chart is installed
✔ Copy Gossip keys to staging
✔ Copy gRPC TLS keys to staging
✔ Prepare staging directory
✔ Copy Gossip keys
✔ Node: node2
✔ Copy TLS keys
✔ Copy Gossip keys
✔ Node: node3
✔ Copy Gossip keys
✔ Node: node1
✔ Copy node keys to secrets
✔ Install chart 'solo-deployment'
✔ Check Node: node1
✔ Check Node: node2
✔ Check Node: node3
✔ Check node pods are running
✔ Check Envoy Proxy for: node1
✔ Check Envoy Proxy for: node2
✔ Check HAProxy for: node1
✔ Check Envoy Proxy for: node3
✔ Check HAProxy for: node2
✔ Check HAProxy for: node3
✔ Check proxy pods are running
✔ Check MinIO
✔ Check auxiliary pods are ready
  • Setup node with Hedera platform software. 
solo node setup -i node1,node2,node3 -n "${SOLO_NAMESPACE}"
  • Example output

******************************* Solo *********************************************
Version			: 0.33.0
Kubernetes Context	: kind-solo
Kubernetes Cluster	: kind-solo
Kubernetes Namespace	: solo
**********************************************************************************
✔ Acquire lease - lease acquired successfully, attempt: 1/10
✔ Initialize
✔ Load remote config - remote config not found
✔ Check network pod: node1
✔ Check network pod: node2
✔ Check network pod: node3
✔ Identify network pods
✔ Update node: node2 [ platformVersion = v0.58.3 ]
✔ Update node: node3 [ platformVersion = v0.58.3 ]
✔ Update node: node1 [ platformVersion = v0.58.3 ]
✔ Fetch platform software into network nodes
✔ Copy configuration files
✔ Copy configuration files
✔ Copy configuration files
✔ Set file permissions
✔ Node: node1
✔ Set file permissions
✔ Node: node3
✔ Set file permissions
✔ Node: node2
✔ Setup network nodes
  • Start the nodes
solo node start -i node1,node2,node3 -n "${SOLO_NAMESPACE}"
  • Example output

******************************* Solo *********************************************
Version			: 0.33.0
Kubernetes Context	: kind-solo
Kubernetes Cluster	: kind-solo
Kubernetes Namespace	: solo
**********************************************************************************
✔ Acquire lease - lease acquired successfully, attempt: 1/10
✔ Initialize
✔ Load remote config - remote config not found
✔ Check network pod: node3
✔ Check network pod: node1
✔ Check network pod: node2
✔ Identify existing network nodes
✔ Start node: node1
✔ Start node: node3
✔ Start node: node2
✔ Starting nodes
✔ Check network pod: node2  - status ACTIVE, attempt: 18/120
✔ Check network pod: node1  - status ACTIVE, attempt: 18/120
✔ Check network pod: node3  - status ACTIVE, attempt: 18/120
✔ Check all nodes are ACTIVE
✔ Check proxy for node: node1
✔ Check proxy for node: node2
✔ Check proxy for node: node3
✔ Check node proxies are ACTIVE
✔ Adding stake for node: node1
✔ Adding stake for node: node2
✔ Adding stake for node: node3
✔ Add node stakes
  • Deploy mirror node
solo mirror-node deploy -n "${SOLO_NAMESPACE}"
  • Example output

******************************* Solo *********************************************
Version			: 0.33.0
Kubernetes Context	: kind-solo
Kubernetes Cluster	: kind-solo
Kubernetes Namespace	: solo
**********************************************************************************
✔ Acquire lease - lease acquired successfully, attempt: 1/10
✔ Initialize
✔ Load remote config - remote config not found
✔ Prepare address book
✔ Deploy mirror-node
✔ Deploy hedera-explorer
✔ Enable mirror-node
✔ Check Hedera Explorer
✔ Check Postgres DB
✔ Check REST API
✔ Check GRPC
✔ Check Importer
✔ Check Monitor
✔ Check pods are ready
✔ Insert data in public.file_data
✔ Seed DB data
  • Deploy a JSON RPC relay
solo relay deploy -i node1 -n "${SOLO_NAMESPACE}"
  • Example output

******************************* Solo *********************************************
Version			: 0.33.0
Kubernetes Context	: kind-solo
Kubernetes Cluster	: kind-solo
Kubernetes Namespace	: solo
**********************************************************************************
✔ Acquire lease - lease acquired successfully, attempt: 1/10
✔ Initialize
✔ Load remote config - remote config not found
✔ Prepare chart values
✔ Deploy JSON RPC Relay
✔ Check relay is ready

You may view the list of pods using k9s as below:

Context: kind-solo                                <0> all   <a>       Attach       <ctr… ____  __.________
 Cluster: kind-solo                                          <ctrl-d>  Delete       <l>  |    |/ _/   __   \______
 User:    kind-solo                                          <d>       Describe     <p>  |      < \____    /  ___/
 K9s Rev: v0.32.5                                            <e>       Edit         <shif|    |  \   /    /\___ \
 K8s Rev: v1.27.3                                            <?>       Help         <z>  |____|__ \ /____//____  >
 CPU:     n/a                                                <shift-j> Jump Owner   <s>          \/            \/
 MEM:     n/a
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────── Pods(all)[31] ─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ NAMESPACE↑          NAME                                                           PF READY STATUS   RESTARTS I │
│ kube-system         coredns-5d78c9869d-994t4                                       ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ kube-system         coredns-5d78c9869d-vgt4q                                       ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ kube-system         etcd-solo-control-plane                                        ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ kube-system         kindnet-q26c9                                                  ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ kube-system         kube-apiserver-solo-control-plane                              ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ kube-system         kube-controller-manager-solo-control-plane                     ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ kube-system         kube-proxy-9b27j                                               ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ kube-system         kube-scheduler-solo-control-plane                              ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ local-path-storage  local-path-provisioner-6bc4bddd6b-4mv8c                        ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo                envoy-proxy-node1-65f8879dcc-rwg97                             ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo                envoy-proxy-node2-667f848689-628cx                             ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo                envoy-proxy-node3-6bb4b4cbdf-dmwtr                             ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo                solo-deployment-grpc-75bb9c6c55-l7kvt                     ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo                solo-deployment-hedera-explorer-6565ccb4cb-9dbw2          ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo                solo-deployment-importer-dd74fd466-vs4mb                  ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo                solo-deployment-monitor-54b8f57db9-fn5qq                  ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo                solo-deployment-postgres-postgresql-0                     ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo                solo-deployment-redis-node-0                              ●  2/2   Running         0 1 │
│ solo                solo-deployment-rest-6d48f8dbfc-plbp2                     ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo                solo-deployment-restjava-5d6c4cb648-r597f                 ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo                solo-deployment-web3-55fdfbc7f7-lzhfl                     ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo                haproxy-node1-785b9b6f9b-676mr                                 ●  1/1   Running         1 1 │
│ solo                haproxy-node2-644b8c76d-v9mg6                                  ●  1/1   Running         1 1 │
│ solo                haproxy-node3-fbffdb64-272t2                                   ●  1/1   Running         1 1 │
│ solo                minio-pool-1-0                                                 ●  2/2   Running         1 1 │
│ solo                network-node1-0                                                ●  5/5   Running         2 1 │
│ solo                network-node2-0                                                ●  5/5   Running         2 1 │
│ solo                network-node3-0                                                ●  5/5   Running         2 1 │
│ solo                relay-node1-node2-node3-hedera-json-rpc-relay-ddd4c8d8b-hdlpb  ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo-cluster        console-557956d575-c5qp7                                       ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│ solo-cluster        minio-operator-7d575c5f84-xdwwz                                ●  1/1   Running         0 1 │
│                                                                                                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
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