FAQ - General
Q. What are the server requirements?
While it is possible to deploy a Solana client on a VPS or virtual machine (VM), achieving full performance and stable operation is challenging. RPC nodes and validators are especially demanding in terms of system resources, making it crucial to prepare an appropriate server environment.
Solana officially recommends using bare-metal servers.
Recommended specs for RPC nodes
Standard RPC (SendTx / Geyser gRPC) and Index RPC (full indexing) differ significantly, especially in memory and storage requirements.
RPC hardware requirements (guideline)
| Component | RPC Node | Index RPC (reference) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 24 cores+ @ 2.8GHz+ / AMD Gen3+ / Intel Ice Lake+ / SHA extensions / AVX2 | 32 cores+ (high clock recommended) |
| RAM | 512GB+ | 1152GB+ |
| Disk | NVMe Gen3 x4 or better / Accounts / Ledger / Snapshots separation recommended | Larger capacity + high TBW / separation recommended |
| Network | 1Gbps or higher | 1Gbps or higher (more bandwidth is preferable) |
| GPU | Not required | Not required |
Note:
Clock speed and effective throughput are considered more important than core count.
Index RPC can be bottlenecked by memory and storage, so ensure sufficient capacity and high IOPS.
If indexing is required, we recommend 768GB or more, and 1152GB or more for stable operation.
Recommended specs for testnet validators
Since testnet environments have lower load compared to mainnet, we recommend the following:
- 16-core Ryzen CPU
- 128GB DDR5 RAM
We have confirmed stable operation with this configuration, which helps to reduce operational costs. SLV Metal offers this setup starting from €180 per month.
Recommended specs for mainnet validators
For stable operation and profitability on the mainnet, the following specifications are recommended:
Agave Validator (official requirements and recommendations)
- CPU: 24 cores+ @ 2.8GHz+ / AMD Gen3+ / Intel Ice Lake+ / SHA extensions / AVX2
- RAM: 256GB+
- Disk: NVMe Gen3 x4 or better (Accounts / Ledger / Snapshots separation recommended)
Firedancer (Frankendancer)
- Minimum: 24-core CPU @ >2.8GHz / 256GB RAM / 2TB NVMe (High TBW)
- Recommended: 32-core CPU @ >3GHz (AVX512 supported) / 512GB RAM (ECC) / Accounts-Ledger separation / 1Gbps+
Considering cost-performance, using Agave with a 24-core CPU and 384GB RAM is ideal. These specs are not merely sufficient for minimal operation; they ensure stable performance and profitability.
If you have not yet prepared a bare-metal server, please refer to our Bare Metal Server Setup Guide.
Further reading:
Q. What are the recommended settings for high-performance RPCs and validators?
Based on operational experience from Validators DAO and ERPC, we provide optimal default settings that achieve high performance across many environments. Especially for mainnet setups, optimizations such as thread counts and other parameters are configured assuming the use of 32-core CPUs.
Configuration files are open-sourced on GitHub and can be freely customized for your specific needs. Contributions to improving these configurations or proposing new enhancements are warmly welcomed. Please join the Validators DAO community to participate.
Q. I've started my validator, and it appears caught up to the latest slot, but it's still marked as "Delinquent".
Even if your validator has caught up with the latest slot, it will remain marked as "Delinquent" if it isn't casting votes. The most common reason for this issue is insufficient SOL in your Identity Key account, which is needed to cover voting costs. Typically, voting consumes around 1.1 SOL per day. Please ensure your Identity Key has a sufficient balance.
For detailed requirements, refer to the following: