Install Ansible

Install ansible on you local machine. e.g Debian and Ubuntu linux.

apt install ansible 

Help link for ansible installation on other OS. https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/installation_guide/intro_installation.html

Ansible configuration

Enter the remote host IP of the instance in inventory.yml, the inventory.yml file should be located in the root of the ansible directory.

Configure connection to the remote host in the ansible.cfg file.

Define the path to your inventory.yml file. e.g using the inventory file in the root directory
inventory=./inventory.yml


Set the remote user name
remote_user=azureuser

Define the location to the remote host ssh key
private_key_file=./key.pem

Check to see if the remote host can be reached with the command

ansible all -m ping

You will see a success output on your terminal if the host is reachable.

Verify Cpu

Verify that CPU meets minimum requirements before Near installation. Run the command below to verify if the host meets up with minimum requirements.

Supported message will be shown, if host passes verification.

ansible-playbook -l all playbooks/verify-cpu.yml

If host passes the verification test, proceed with the Near installation.

Install Near dependencies

Install dependencies needed to setup near environment.

ansible-playbook -l all playbooks/verify-cpu.yml
ansible-playbook -l all playbooks/deps.yml
ansible-playbook -l all playbooks/node.yml

Install node and node cli

Install node and node cli on the host.

ansible-playbook -l all playbooks/near-cli.yml

Configure setup-neard variables

Configure the neard variables in /roles/setup-neard/main.yml directory. Three variables are required

nearcore_branch: Define the nearcore version. Default is tags/1.27.0
nearcore_environment: The environment is required, default is shardnet
user: Remote host user is required.

Setup nearcore

This process git clones the nearcore project and compiles nearcore binary.

ansible-playbook -l all playbooks/nearcore.yml 

Setup and run neard

Setup neard service. Define the user variable (remote host user) in the --extra-var config below, user=<remote_user>.

ansible-playbook -l all playbooks/setup-neard.yml 

Initialize working directory

In order to work properly, the NEAR node requires a working directory and a couple of configuration files. Generate the initial required working directory by running:

Login to the Host and replace the config.json file

config.json - Configuration parameters which are responsive for how the node will work. The config.json contains needed information for a node to run on the network, how to communicate with peers, and how to reach consensus. Although some options are configurable. In general validators have opted to use the default config.json provided.

genesis.json - A file with all the data the network started with at genesis. This contains initial accounts, contracts, access keys, and other records which represents the initial state of the blockchain. The genesis.json file is a snapshot of the network state at a point in time. In contacts accounts, balances, active validators, and other information about the network.

node_key.json - A file which contains a public and private key for the node. Also includes an optional account_id parameter which is required to run a validator node (not covered in this doc).

data/ - A folder in which a NEAR node will write it's state.

Be sure to add this parameter to the config.json if missing: "external_address": ""

boot_nodes: If you had not specified the boot nodes to use during init in Step 3, the generated config.json shows an empty array, so we will need to replace it with a full one specifying the boot nodes.

Ensure this field parameter is set to 0 "tracked_shards": [0]

Activating the node as validator

Authorize Wallet Locally

A full access key needs to be installed locally to be able to sign transactions via NEAR-CLI.

You need to run this command:

near login

Note: This command launches a web browser allowing for the authorization of a full access key to be copied locally.

1 – Copy the link in your browser

Enter your wallet id into the terminal and press Enter

Run the following command:

cat ~/.near/validator_key.json
_Note: If a validator_key.json is not present, follow these steps to create one**_

Create a validator_key.json

Generate the Key file:

near generate-key <pool_id>
<pool_id> ---> xx.factory.shardnet.near WHERE xx is you pool name

Pool will be created at the next task, now you can give the same name as your wallet name

For example : wallet name : john.shardnet.near (in future we will call it ) pool name : john.factory.shardnet.near Please use the same pool name for next task "Mount your Staking Pool"

Copy the file generated to shardnet folder: Make sure to replace <pool_id> by your pool name

cp ~/.near-credentials/shardnet/YOUR_WALLET.json ~/.near/validator_key.json

Edit “account_id” => xx.factory.shardnet.near, where xx is your PoolName

Change private_key to secret_key Note: The account_id must match the staking pool contract name or you will not be able to sign blocks.\

File content must be in the following pattern:

{ "account_id": "xx.factory.shardnet.near", "public_key": "ed25519:HeaBJ3xLgvZacQWmEctTeUqyfSU4SDEnEwckWxd92W2G", "secret_key": "ed25519:****" }

#Start the validator

sudo service neard start

Stake near pool

Near staking pool, this step should be after activating the node as a validator.

ansible-playbook -l all playbooks/setup-validator.yml