[EPIC] Packaging & distribution

[KtorZ]

Tasks

• Ensure continuous delivery of Docker images and pre-compiled binaries through a Github workflow

  • ci: add e2e test as part of the release flow txpipe/dolos#181
  • ci: use hierarchical semantic-versioning tags for Docker images txpipe/dolos#182

• Ensure default configuration files (including genesis files) are packaged with the software / images.

  • feat: package well-known network genesis configs as part of the release txpipe/dolos#183

• Define JSON-Schema for the genesis files (Shelley, Alonzo, Conway) and push this specification upstream to the Haskell team (possibly through a CIP?).

• Export protocol-level, runtime and storage metrics as Prometheus metrics

  • Exact metrics to be refined by whomever addresses that task.

• Provide a default Grafana template on top of Prometheus metrics

  • feat: build cool Grafana dashboard for Dolos metrics txpipe/dolos#184

• Think about other configuration parameters that need to be provided to Dolos

  • Where do we deviate from the Haskell configuration? Where do we want to keep compatibility?
  • What needs to be configurable?
  • docs: add detailed description of top-level (not genesis files) configuration params txpipe/dolos#185

• Agree on a structure for ledger / blockchain snapshots to bootstrap from

  • Consult with the Mithril team on this topic since they've already been looking into that problem.
  • Ensure we can produce canonical representation of snapshots and reproducible hash digests

• Provide a 'snapshotting tool' for creating arbitrary snapshots as configuration to bootstrap from.

Scope/Acceptance Criteria

• Pre-compiled binary for x86_64 and aarch64

  • Fully statically linked on Linux
  • as much static as possible for MacOS (rely on dynamic links for system deps)

• Support the following platforms:

  • Linux (generic)
  • MacOS

• Docker images for amd/arm

• Installation through package managers:

  • Cargo
    • We do not aim to provide a crate-as-a-library, but only installation from sources via cargo.
  • Homebrew

• Provide Prometheus pre-defined configuration

• Provide a default Grafana template

• We don't need to synchronize and validate the entire chain. We only need to validate the current (and next) era(s). This means that it should be possible to start the node from a snapshot of the ledger state that is constructed elsewhere.

• Opt-in analytics, behind feature flags.

  • We might want to collect specific analytics to help improve the node.

• Bonus: update notification in the installer / cli to let people know about more recent versions than the one installed on their machine.