Troubleshooting

Here, we walk through common issues you might face when running a validator on Analog.

1. Docker Container Issues

Symptom: Container fails to start

Possible Causes:

Port conflicts (30333/9944 already in use)
Invalid volume mount path
Missing --validator flag

Solutions:

Check for port conflicts:
```
lsof -i :30333 && lsof -i :9944
```
Verify volume path exists and has write permissions:
```
chmod -R 755 /path/to/data
```
Ensure the --validator flag is included in the docker run command.

2. Chain Synchronization Issues

Symptom: Node stuck at a block height

Possible Causes:

Insufficient peers
Corrupted chain data
Warp Sync misconfiguration

Solutions:

Check peer count in logs:


docker logs [CONTAINER_ID] | grep "Discovered new peer"

Restart with Warp Sync:
```
docker run ... --sync=warp
```
Delete and resync chain data:
```
rm -rf /path/to/data/*
```

3. RPC Connection Failures

Symptoms:

author_rotateKeys returns Connection refused
Polkadot.js Apps fails to connect

Solutions:
A. Validate RPC Flags:

Confirm --unsafe-rpc-external and --rpc-methods=unsafe are included in the Docker command.

B. Test RPC Endpoint:


curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"id":1, "jsonrpc":"2.0", "method":"system_health"}' http://localhost:9944

If no response, check the firewall rules or Docker network settings.

4. Validator Not Producing Blocks

Symptoms:

Node is bonded but shows 0 authored blocks in Telemetry
"No slot leader" in logs

Solutions:
A. Session Key Mismatch:

Regenerate and resubmit session keys:


echo '{"id":1,"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"author_rotateKeys"}' | websocat -n1 ws://localhost:9944

Update keys via Polkadot.js Apps Network > Staking > Set Session Key.

B. Bonding/Payment Issues:

Ensure the bonded amount meets the minimum requirement .
Verify the reward destination account is valid (Network > Staking > Accounts>Stashed).

C. Timechain Alignment:

Check system clock synchronization:


timedatectl status | grep "System clock synchronized"

Analog relies on precise timekeeping (6-second slots). Use NTP:
```
sudo apt install ntp; sudo systemctl restart ntp  
```

5. Validator Not in Active Set

Symptoms:

Node appears as "Waiting" in Telemetry
No rewards after 12-hour nomination period

Solutions:
A. Stake Check:

Ensure the total bonded stake (self + nominations) ranks among the top N validators.

B. Era Transition:

Validator sets update every 12 hours. Monitor era changes:
```
docker logs [CONTAINER_ID] | grep "New era"  
```

C. On-Chain Identity:

6. High Resource Usage

Symptoms:

Node crashes with Out of Memory
CPU usage >90% sustained

Solutions:
A. Hardware Requirements:

Check that your hardware meets minimum requirements. For high nominations, scale vertically.

B. Limit Warp Sync Impact:

Warp Sync uses heavy I/O. After syncing, restart without --sync=warp.

C. Disable Non-Essential Services:

Remove --prometheus-external if not monitoring.

7. Telemetry Not Reporting

Symptoms:

Node missing from Analog Telemetry
Logs show Failed to submit telemetry

Solutions:
A. Node Name Flag:

Confirm --name 'YOUR_NODE_NAME' is set and unique.

B. Telemetry Endpoint:

Ensure no corporate firewall blocks outbound traffic to wss://telemetry.analog.one.