In the Cardano ecosystem, most stake pool operators (SPOs) use gLiveView to track the node status, a requirement to access the cmd line. Others can use prometheus/graphana in cases where there is a lack of essential data. These have had issues, and there is a need for easy to use monitoring tools for SPO, especially single SPO, which will improve the overall Cardano network security and reliability.
Ada Rocket’s Proposition
This is a solution focused on providing easy to use monitoring toolsets for SPOs. Through this the Cardano network security and reliability will be improved since the solution will increase awareness about the node state as well as provide the possibility to check the node state on the go without access to PC or Mac. Additionally, it will setup and tune any custom alerts to cover SPO monitoring needs and send immediate notifications to multiple destinations in case any alert is triggered.
Compared to the current node monitoring tools in the market, Ada Rocket has the following advantages:
- monitoring node parameters and availability on the go in mobile application
- immediate notifications to the mobile app in case something unexpected happens
- customizable parameters for the notification with flexible tuning
- sparing resources client (informer is quite a tiny app and takes minimum resources to run)
- quick and reliable data protocol for communicating between the solution components (gRPC)
The team
This idea has been submitted by Alexander Bykov, one among the four members of the team. Two other members have also contributed to the idea; G Sharaburko and Sergey Shpilevskiy. The members are stake pool operators for BLACK Rocket and developers, with 6 to 15 years’ experience in software development for mobile and infrastructure. This is the only project that the team has proposed on Project Catalyst.
Budget
The team is requesting $23,000 in funding.
The team has already started development, having worked on it for more than 6 months. There is a working prototype but the money will be used to finalise the solution. It will be used to:
- develop mobile/desktop node monitoring app for a node operator
- develop a one-button-click installer for the already developed server components
- develop web application to customize alerts
- develop storing the monitoring data to DB for the future analysis
- cover solution with automatic tests (optionally, if we cover other items in this list)
- develop telegram bot as an additional channel for notifications
- setup and test basic end-to-end notifications for mobile app and telegram
- publish the app in Google Play / App Store
The current version of Ada Rocket is available to the public on GitHub. Once the team has the required amount, they will need 3-6 months to finalise all the components and deliver the mobile app. The possible delivery date has been set for May 1, 2022.
Conclusion
The Ada Rocket team is managing its own node, meaning it’s already using this solution to monitor the BLACK node. Therefore, they understand the need for this solution to other stake pool operators, as they have one already. The challenges expressed and experienced by node operators can be solved by this solution as it provides the possibility to check the node state on the go. The solution will have a controller, informer, alerter and mobile app which will work together to make it easier for SPOs.
The Ada Rocket solution will set Cardano in the path of network security and reliability, features that many developers and blockchain users are keen on. The solution will attract more single SPOs into Cardano, who ensure reliable, 24/7 operation of a network node.
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