ā³Downtime Management

Node Penalties and Downtime Management

Stopping a node does not incur a penalty; however, if the node remains stopped for more than a specified duration, it will be penalized. To avoid penalties, ensure that you stop and restart the node quickly.

Penalty for Downtime

The specific time frame before penalties are applied is dynamic and depends on the number of blocks missed by the node, which in turn depends on the total number of active nodes in the system.

The punishment threshold is 48 blocks. After missing 48 opportunities to validate blocks, the validator is punished. Each block is validated in 3 seconds.

Therefore, the time to reach the punishment threshold is calculated as follows:

Calculation of Punishment Time

For multiple nodes, the punishment time increases because the blocks are distributed among the nodes. The formula to calculate the punishment time based on the number of active nodes is:

PunishmentTime=48blocksƗ3seconds/blockƗNPunishment Time = 48 blocks Ɨ 3 seconds/block Ɨ N

Where N is the number of active nodes.

Here are a few examples:

  • If there are 2 active nodes: 48 blocks Ɨ 3 seconds/block Ɨ 2 = 288 seconds It would take 288 seconds for one of the nodes to get punished.

  • If there are 3 active nodes: 48 blocks Ɨ 3 seconds/block Ɨ 3 = 432 seconds It would take 432 seconds for one of the nodes to get punished.

  • If there are 4 active nodes: 48 blocks Ɨ 3 seconds/block Ɨ 4 = 576 seconds It would take 576 seconds for one of the nodes to get punished.

Recommendations

Ensure to restart the nodes within these calculated time frames to avoid penalties.

Last updated