validator.md

Running a Validator

Validators play a crucial role in the Storb network by serving as gateways to the storage subnet. They handle the storage and retrieval of files, ensuring data integrity and availability.

Setup

1. Activate Your Virtual Environment

   Ensure you are within the virtual environment (venv) that you set up earlier:

   source path/to/your/venv/bin/activate

2. Setting Up the Database

   Initialize and migrate the validator database using dbmate:

   dbmate --url "sqlite:validator_database.db" up

3. Running the Validator

   Execute the validator with the appropriate configuration:

   NETUID=1 \
   WALLET_NAME=validator \
   HOTKEY_NAME=default \
   SUBTENSOR_NETWORK=<subtensor_network> \
   SUBTENSOR_ADDRESS=<subtensor_address> \
   MIN_STAKE_THRESHOLD=-1 \
   python storb/validator \
   --netuid 269 \ # 269 on testnet
   --subtensor.network <subtensor_network> \
   --subtensor.address <subtensor_address> \
   --wallet_name validator \
   --hotkey_name default \
   --dht.port <port> \
   --external_ip <ip> \
   --api_port <port> \
   --db_dir vali_database.db

4. Posting Your IP to the Chain (First-Time Setup)

   If this is your first time running the miner, you need to post your IP address to the chain. Append the --post_ip flag to the command in the previous step.

Running Multiple Nodes on the Same Machine

If you are running a miner on the same machine as a validator, ensure that dht.port and api_port are different to avoid conflicts. For example, if the miner uses port 4520, you might set the validator's DHT port to 4521:

--dht.port 4521 \
--api_port 4520