Move Stake Pool to new VPS

Staking & Delegation Setup a Stake Pool
1

Hi everyone!

I’m currently running my stake pool on Droplets from Digital Ocean. I have installed core and relay ver. 1.27.0 in June 2020 on two rented VPS with 8 Gb RAM for 40$/m each.

Few days ago I have upgraded both nodes to ver. 1.29.0 and (like many others) noticed that nodes hangs with “starting” status. This problem has a solution - increase RAM to more that 8 Gb. I had to rent more expensive VPS with 16 Gb to startup my nodes on ver. 1.29.0

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Now I have to pay 160$/months to Digital Ocean for two VPS. It’s worth mentioning, I still didn’t mint a single block.

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https://pool.vet/#pool1e6z3jnnvu9zqxlk60hkfjym2vj3mvgysy6h8l2xxyj5j220vlsd

I decided to cut costs by moving nodes to Contabo (Contabo 🥇 Quality VPS & Dedicated Servers At Incredible Prices 🥇).
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I followed very useful Guild guide (Guild Operators) to setup relay node on Contabo VPS.

It’s up and syncing now.

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Now I have some troubles to shoot and seek to a help to do the following…

2

The plan is to:

  1. start new relay on Contabo
  2. kill old relay on Digital Ocean
  3. move Core from Digital Ocean to Contabo and avoid paying the pool registration fee (500 ADA).

Issues:

  1. Core can’t see new relay

Note: main net-topology.json and topologyUpdater.sh are updated. New and old relay are connected to each other.

Thoughts: maybe it’s because the new relay isn’t synced with Cardano blockchain yet.

  1. How to setup Core using Guild guide?
    I noticed instructions for relay only. Core only mentioned here, but no clear commands were provided…

https://cardano-community.github.io/guild-operators/Build/node-cli/

Alternatively I could use Coin Cashew guide, but I loved the simplicity of Guild guide.

  1. How I can move my Core node from Digital Ocean to Conabo without paying stake pool registration fee again?

Have no I idea …

3

Bingo!
Wait till the relay will be 100% synced

4

Alex,

Thanks for being very responsive and helpful here in community.

Could you please also go through my 2 and 3rd questions?

5

Man, it’s simple, just set up the nodes how u did it on digital ocean, then… u are using cntools or …?

U will not need to register again the pool, just move the core files to the new server and start it like a producer…
Anyway, you will need to send a new pool certification because u will need to register the new relay _IP

6

I not using CNTools. I’m using command line.

But CNTools looks more convenient way to do the same.

7

Great, then:

  • install the new nodes
  • upload the DB folder from one node already synced from digital ocean to new nodes (this way u will not wait 1-2 days till the new servers will be synced)
  • upload the priv folder from the old producer to the new producer, edit the env file and the new Producer will work like a charm
  • go to cntools → pool → modify and register the new relay
1 Like
8

Could you please list the content of the “priv” folder?

I don’t have this folder on my core (installation is quite messy), so I will pick files one by one to copy. I need to identify all required files.

9

sorry, you said u are not using cntools…forget about priv folder;
so you will need to copy all pool/wallet files
node.cert, kes.start, vrfs files, payment.addr, stake.addr, delegation.cert, etc

I told you, all u have to do is to upload all files which u have on your old Producer to the new Producer

10

thank you. I’ve got the idea.
Now waiting second VPS to be registered on Contabo.

1 Like
13

The path … download to ur pc using sftp (filezila) and the upload to the new node

1 Like
14

that’s too easy :slight_smile:

1 Like
15

Hi,
Just a really friendly advise. I think you should not disclose your Node IP in the public. It is not good idea. Probably you can just write as a.b.c.d or anything.

16

thanks
I’ll follow it.

17

What I have identified so far:
balance.out
deleg.cert
fullUtxo.out
kes.skey
kes.vkey
node.cert
payment.addr
pool.cert
stake.cert
vrf.skey

Did I missed anything?

can you show me picture to identify full list of files (to avoid “etc.” thing)?

18

I don’t know if u havee all the files on server or u are keeping them offfline

Wait a second

# Name Translated Name Hot/Cold

|1|deleg.cert|pool
|2|kes.skey|pool
|3|kes.vkey|pool
|4|node.cert|pool
|5|node.counter|pool
|6|node.skey|pool
|7|node.vkey|pool
|8|params.json|pool
|9|payment.addr|wallet
|10|payment.skey|wallet
|11|payment.vkey|wallet
|12|pool.cert|pool
|13|poolMetaData.json|pool
|14|stake.addr|wallet
|15|stake.cert|wallet
|16|stake.skey|wallet
|17|stake.vkey|wallet
|18|stakepoolid.txt|?
|19|vrf.skey|pool
|20|vrf.vkey|pool

But I don’t know if u have a cold server, if u are keeping all on ur live producer, etc

19

no. this just the list of all possible keys.

Some of the listed key shouldn’t be shown on the internet - Cardano Key Pairs | Cardano Developer Portal

I was asking for the list of keys required to upload new Core node.

20

I will try to start with this list

21

Not clear where to I should copy keys to run stake pull.

I changed env file to add POOL_NAME=“CoolT” (as requested by guide: Node & CLI - Guild Operators)

So, where I should copy keys from old Core node?
Option 1: $CNODE_HOME/priv/pool/CoolT
or
Option 2: /opt/cardano/cnode

22

But, on your old Producer where are the files stored? U didn’t followed the same guide?

That’s why I asked if u use cntools, cntools has a priv folder (option 1) for pool files and
$CNODE_HOME/priv/wallet/CoolT - for wallet files