FAQ - Mainnet Validator Operational Notes | SLV

Q. What is the purpose of this page?

Solana validators are not only responsible for their own nodes but also for the overall quality of the chain.
When all validators run at a high quality, transaction processing, block production, and UX improve, which increases the reliability of the Solana network.

This is not only about “contributing to the network.”
Performance metrics actually affect stake pool evaluations and other assessments,
so high-quality validator operations also benefit the operator over time.

SLV automatically applies basic performance settings, but there are still key points that operators should understand and verify for stable real-world operation. This FAQ summarizes the minimum checks you should make.

Q. What machine specs are recommended for a mainnet validator?

On mainnet, you should plan for a configuration that remains stable even during congestion, not just the bare minimum to start.

Agave Validator (official requirements and recommendations)

SOL requirements

There is no strict minimum SOL requirement
The Vote Account needs 0.02685864 SOL to be rent-exempt
Voting transactions can cost up to ~1.1 SOL / day

Hardware requirements (guideline)

Component	Validator	RPC Node (reference)
CPU	2.8GHz+ / AMD Gen3+ / Intel Ice Lake+ / SHA extensions / AVX2	16 cores / 32 threads+
RAM	256GB+	512GB+
Disk	NVMe Gen3 x4 or better / Accounts / Ledger / Snapshots separation recommended	Larger capacity recommended
GPU	Not required	Not required

Note:
Clock speed and effective throughput are considered more important than core count.

Firedancer (Frankendancer)

Firedancer (Frankendancer) currently depends on Agave,
so at minimum it assumes the Agave recommended configuration or higher.

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
Network bandwidth of 1Gbps or higher

References:

Q. Why is BIOS CPU Turbo / Performance Boost important?

If CPU Turbo / Performance Boost is disabled at the BIOS level, CPU performance drops and block production can become slower. This may lead to worse block times and potential penalties.

BIOS checks (general)

CPU Performance Boost / Core Performance Boost
Turbo Mode / Turbo Boost
Performance Profile (Performance rather than Power Saving)

SLV runs inside the OS and manages OS-level settings like CPU governor and pstate, but it cannot change BIOS or firmware settings.

Note:
BIOS settings cannot be checked from the OS.
When you bring up a new server or do an initial setup, always include BIOS verification in your checklist.

Q. What kernel version is recommended and how do I check it?

As of January 2026, Kernel 6.8.0 or later is recommended.
It includes two updates that are important for Solana workloads.

bash
uname -r
# 6.8.0-71-generic

Note: The kernel is often overlooked, but it directly affects CPU scheduling and I/O.

Q. Which OS-level CPU settings should I check?

Make sure the following are all in the performance state.

Energy Performance Preference (EPP)

bash
cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/energy_performance_preference
# performance

CPU governor

bash
cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor
# performance

amd_pstate (AMD CPU)

bash
cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/amd_pstate/status
# active

Note: If these are not satisfied, the CPU may run in power-saving mode and fail to deliver full performance.

SLV sets these by default, but it is important to understand what they mean and verify them yourself.

Q. What is the minimum checklist?

Checking these items in advance helps ensure high-quality validator operations and avoids unnecessary issues.

Machine specs match official requirements
CPU Turbo / Performance Boost is enabled in BIOS
Kernel is 6.8.0 or later
EPP / governor / amd_pstate are in performance state

Use this FAQ as a checklist for real-world operations.