🏗️Reinstallation Guide

Rebuild a Constellation Network node with an existing P12 keystore.

Introduction

One of the lesser defining characteristics of a Constellation Network Validator Node is its ephemeral nature. This means that nodes are designed to be easily rebuildable, making re-deployment a cleaner and often more efficient solution compared to deep troubleshooting.

Whether you're:

• Experiencing inconsistent OS behavior,

• Choosing to upgrade your distribution via a fresh VPS (rather than an inline upgrade),

• Switching cloud providers,

• Or facing any other scenario that requires spinning up a new instance,

Rebuilding your node is not only possible, it’s encouraged.

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🔄 Rebuilding with Your Existing .p12 Keystore

This guide will walk you through the process of reinstalling your existing .p12 keystore on a new VPS instance so your validator node can resume operation quickly and securely.

By the end of this process, your new instance will be configured with your existing wallet, allowing you to seamlessly rejoin the network without starting from scratch.

Step 1️⃣

Connect to your OLD VPS and backup ( obtain ) your current p12 keystore.

♻️Backup/Restore a P12 KeyStore

This step is critical for a successful reinstallation.

If you no longer have access to your old VPS and do not possess a valid backup of your .p12 keystore, please contact a system administrator immediately. In this case, you will need to rebuild a new node from scratch and follow the instructions in the normal installation guide.

$DAG tokens can still be accessed and recovered through your Stargazer Wallet, provided you retain access there. See the Collateralize Your Node guide for further details.

Step 2️⃣

Rebuild your VPS

🚧Generic Build a VPS Guide

Step 3️⃣

Restore your p12 to the new VPS prior to begin an installation.

♻️Backup/Restore a P12 KeyStore

Step 4️⃣

Follow either the Quick Install or Normal Installation guide up to the migration section.

At that point:

1. When prompted, select y to proceed with the keystore migration.

2. nodectl will automatically scan your VPS for any available .p12 keystore files.

3. In this scenario, it should detect only one .p12 file, the one you uploaded during the earlier step.

Select the identified .p12 keystore and continue following the installation guide as normal to complete your validator node setup.

🐇Quick Install Guide🎨Normal Install Guide