How to move Stake Pool Node to new IP address?

Question

I believe we are missing something. Earlier I asked a question on how to reregister the stake pool from the new hosts. However, apparently I had not asked the entire question - which is, how do you go about moving the node? As in, what are the steps? The documentation on this has been pretty hard to find. What I did was to set up the node on the new hosts, transfer the keys, and then re-register the stake pool using the SPOS scripts. But, the IP addresses of the relays aren't being updated on the net - so how do I update the topology file? I found a Topology Updater script, but I can't just download and run it - it appears that a set of very specific prerequisites needs to be set up, and I don't see where that is documented. So how exactly do I take my updated topology file and submit it to the network to supersede the old one?

Answer 1

In general, there's nothing in the protocol itself that cares where your node made blocks, but here's some best practices on what you would do:

1. Create your new relays in the new hosting center
2. Setup bi-directional connections between your old/new relays in your topology files
3. Notify any pools you're pairing with of your new relays so they can add them to their topology files as well
4. Re-register the new relays for your pool so IOHK and other pools getting information from db-sync to generate their topology files can find your relays
5. Sync a new "relay" against your new relays in your new hosting center. This will eventually become your block producing node
6. Identify a time when your node will not produce a block that's a good maintenance window (ideally a few hours in case anything goes wrong)
7. cleanly stop both the old block producing node and the new one (that's currently a relay) with a SIGINT signal so the database is cleanly shutdown.
8. (optional but good practice) generate a new KES key an opcert
9. restart your new block producing node with the VRF skey and new KES/opcert.
10. Ensure your relays have adequate incoming relay connections from outside prior to shutting down your old relays.
11. remove old relays from your new relay topology and restart them

Answer 2

First thing: you can re-register the stake pool from any host in the world. You don't have to do it from one of the stake pool nodes.

Second thing: the only keys you need on the block producer node are: kes.skey, vrf.skey and the operational certificate (node.cert or oper.cert, depending on what guide you were using). It is not advised to have the payment keys on a server connected to the Internet. Maybe it is a requirement for the scripts you are using, but I would not do that.

If the new relays are in sync, you should install the topology updater script. You have some requirements to install, but you can use the documentation. https://cardano-community.github.io/guild-operators/basics/#pre-requisites

Once you are running the topology updated script on the new relays and you have incoming connections, you can re-register the stake pool with the new relays. I assume you already have the new block producer connected to the new relays (both directions connections between relays and block producer). But you should not run both block producers in the same time, if you have blocks scheduled. You can also connect the new block producer to both old relays and new relays, and stop the old block producer even before updating the stake pool registration certification.

Answer 3

i think you are missing something and you make more complicated your question.

every pool needs only one BP (second one for redudancy, but never run 2 BPs at the same time) and you also need Relays, more than 2 for the redudancy.

the BP (block producer) need his settings and only connections to your relays. no other connection to any other Relay in the network. that is for your security. this node, the BP, need 3 files so that runs as BP. that is the only different to the Relays.

which means now, the IPs which are known and used in public, are the IPs from your relays.

now to your point. if you want to install new node, what ever it is (either BP or Relay), you need a normal installation as it was for any other old Node.

if you want to use this new Node a Relay,

1. prepare it as relay,
2. connect it with your BP only
3. register the pool with your new public IPs

if you notice here, in importan key_step is to register again the pool with your new IPs (from Relays)

in case now you want new installation for your BP,

then please just install new node, connect it with your Relays, and add the proper files to run as BP.

please let me know, if that is what you exactly want to make it clear.

for any further support, let us know and we are happy to assist you. TTS17