proxmox/docs/05-network/NETWORK_STATUS.md

# Network Status Report

**Last Updated:** 2025-12-20  
**Document Version:** 1.0  
**Status:** Active Documentation  
**Network:** Chain ID 138 (QBFT Consensus)

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## Executive Summary

The network is **fully operational** and producing blocks. The root cause issue (ethash conflicting with QBFT in genesis.json) has been resolved.

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## 1. Block Production

- **Current Block Height**: Blocks 83-85 (actively increasing)
- **Block Period**: ~2 seconds (as configured)
- **Status**: ✅ Blocks are being produced consistently

### Block Production by Node
- VMID 1000 (validator-1): Block 83+
- VMID 1001 (validator-2): Block 84+
- VMID 1002 (validator-3): Block 85+

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## 2. Validator Recognition

- **Total Validators**: 5
- **Status**: ✅ All validators recognized by QBFT consensus

### Validator Addresses (from QBFT)
1. `0x1c25c54bf177ecf9365445706d8b9209e8f1c39b` (VMID 1000)
2. `0xc4c1aeeb5ab86c6179fc98220b51844b74935446` (VMID 1001)
3. `0x22f37f6faaa353e652a0840f485e71a7e5a89373` (VMID 1002)
4. `0x573ff6d00d2bdc0d9c0c08615dc052db75f82574` (VMID 1003)
5. `0x11563e26a70ed3605b80a03081be52aca9e0f141` (VMID 1004)

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## 3. Service Status

### Validators (5 nodes)
- VMID 1000 (besu-validator-1): ✅ active
- VMID 1001 (besu-validator-2): ✅ active
- VMID 1002 (besu-validator-3): ✅ active
- VMID 1003 (besu-validator-4): ✅ active
- VMID 1004 (besu-validator-5): ✅ active

### Sentries (4 nodes)
- VMID 1500 (besu-sentry-1): ✅ active
- VMID 1501 (besu-sentry-2): ✅ active
- VMID 1502 (besu-sentry-3): ✅ active
- VMID 1503 (besu-sentry-4): ✅ active

### RPC Nodes (3 nodes)
- VMID 2500 (besu-rpc-1): ✅ active
- VMID 2501 (besu-rpc-2): ✅ active
- VMID 2502 (besu-rpc-3): ✅ active

**Total Nodes**: 12 (5 validators + 4 sentries + 3 RPC)

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## 4. Network Connectivity

- **Peer Connections**: All validators showing healthy peer counts (10+ peers)
- **Status**: ✅ Network topology is functioning correctly

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## 5. Consensus Configuration

- **Consensus Algorithm**: QBFT (Quorum Byzantine Fault Tolerance)
- **Block Period**: 2 seconds
- **Epoch Length**: 30,000 blocks
- **Request Timeout**: 10 seconds
- **Status**: ✅ QBFT consensus is active and functioning

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## 6. Recent Changes Applied

### Critical Fix Applied
- **Issue**: Genesis file contained both `ethash: {}` and `qbft: {...}`, causing Besu to default to ethash instead of QBFT
- **Solution**: Removed `ethash: {}` from genesis.json config
- **Result**: QBFT consensus now active, validators recognized, blocks being produced

### Previous Fixes
1. ✅ Key rotation completed (all validator and node keys regenerated)
2. ✅ Configuration files updated (removed deprecated options)
3. ✅ RPC enabled on validators (with QBFT API)
4. ✅ Permissioning configured correctly
5. ✅ Static nodes and permissioned nodes files updated

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## 7. Network Health

### Overall Status: 🟢 HEALTHY

- ✅ All services running
- ✅ Validators recognized and producing blocks
- ✅ Blocks being produced consistently
- ✅ Network connectivity operational
- ✅ Consensus functioning correctly

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## Next Steps / Recommendations

1. **Monitor Block Production**: Continue monitoring to ensure consistent block production
2. **Monitor Validator Participation**: Ensure all 5 validators continue to participate
3. **Network Metrics**: Consider setting up metrics collection for long-term monitoring
4. **Backup Configuration**: Archive the working genesis.json and key configurations

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## Troubleshooting History

This network has been successfully restored from a state where:
- Validators were not recognized
- Blocks were not being produced
- Consensus was defaulting to ethash instead of QBFT

All issues have been resolved through systematic troubleshooting and configuration fixes.