🚧Generic Build a VPS Guide

This is a generic guide created to assist you in building a Constellation Network validator node.

Recommendation

If you are going to build your VPS on a cloud provider that we offer a specific guide to follow, skip this document and move directly to one of those guides

• AWS

• Digital Ocean

• Hetzner

Before We Begin

This guide does not include cloud provider-specific steps or images. You may use the specific cloud provider documentation here.

There are many cloud providers available to choose from, and unfortunately, we cannot cover each one in these tutorials and guides.

We encourage you to research and select a provider that best fits your needs in terms of performance, pricing, reliability, and regional availability.

You may also:

• Adapt an existing setup guide by intuitively translating the steps to match your chosen provider’s interface.

• Ask for advice or recommendations in the Constellation Network Official Discord channel, where community members and team members can share their experience and guidance.

The right provider is the one that aligns best with your technical comfort level and validator node requirements.

Create SSH Keys

🔑Create SSH Keys

Cloud Provider Specific

While this guide provides generic, provider-agnostic steps to help you build a VPS on any cloud service, it is designed so you can follow along using intuitive actions regardless of the platform.

However, if you prefer a more tailored experience, you may choose to opt into service-specific guides that have been prepared for popular providers. These offer more detailed, platform-specific instructions to streamline the setup process.

Choose the path that best fits your comfort level and desired level of guidance.

🚧Build AWS EC2 Instance🚧Build DigitalOcean Droplet🚧Build Hetzner Server

Create a Firewall

Create a Firewall (Security Group)

It's recommended to create your firewall policy (also known as a Security Group) before launching your VPS. Doing this upfront allows you to immediately assign the correct firewall rules when the VPS is created, ensuring proper and secure access from the start.

IMPORTANT

Do NOT rely on software firewalls such as UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) or IP Tables for securing your validator node.

Because your node will have direct Internet access, these tools are not sufficient as a primary IP packet security layer and can interfere with the proper operation of your node on the VPS.

Instead, always use your cloud provider’s built-in firewall or security group features to manage port access and protect your server at the network level.

If your cloud provider of choice does not offer built-in firewall or security group features, it is strongly advised not to use that provider for hosting your validator node.

Firewall Mappings Chart​

Firewall Settings Table

Advanced Checklist: Manual Node Build Steps

This checklist is intended for advanced users who are not following a pre-configured cloud provider guide.

If you’re building your Validator node manually on a custom VPS or bare-metal environment, use this sequence to ensure a complete and secure setup.

These steps assumes familiarity with manual system setup, firewall management, and node operations. Be sure to follow official documentation closely when applying any configurations related to the Tessellation protocol or node lifecycle.

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1

Build Your VPS or Bare-Metal Server

• Refer to the Validator Specifications Document to determine the appropriate system configuration.

• Choose a provider or hardware setup that meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements.

2

Apply Network Access Requirements

• SSH Access:

  • Generate a secure key pair.

  • Lock down your SSH configuration to allow access only from known IP addresses.

  • Disable root login.

• Local Administration:

  • Ensure you have non-root administrative access (e.g., a user in the sudo group).

3

Create and Apply Firewall Rules

Configure your VPS or provider-level firewall to:

• Allow only necessary inbound ports (e.g., SSH, Tessellation API ports).

• Restrict SSH to trusted IPs only.

• Deny all other traffic by default.

4

Build your Node

Turn your server into a validator node by performing the following:

• Install all required dependencies.

• Install the Tessellation binaries and any Constellation-specific tooling.

• Place and secure your keystore.

• Configure the API endpoints needed for Layer0 and/or Layer1 connectivity.

5

Collateralize

• Stake the required amount of $DAG tokens to activate your validator node.

• Follow official guidelines to complete the collateralization process.

6

Submit Your Node Information

• Join the Constellation Network Official Discord.

• Navigate to the appropriate validator channel and submit your node profile details to the team.

7

Dor Metagraph Specific

• Log in to your Lattice dashboard.

• Navigate to the Dor section.

• Link your nodid for tax rewards.

8

IntegrationNet Specific

• Log in to your Lattice dashboard.

• Navigate to the IntegrationNet section.

• Link your wallet for rewards.