Guide to Deploy Solar on Akash

Solar is a blockchain explorer and dashboard built for monitoring, querying, and analyzing data from blockchain networks. Its primary purpose is to provide a user-friendly interface for developers, validators, and other stakeholders to interact with and extract insights from blockchain data. The Solar platform can be deployed on decentralized infrastructure like Akash, ensuring cost-effective, scalable, and censorship-resistant hosting.

This guide outlines how to deploy Solar on Akash using the upstage/solar Docker image and a sample SDL (Service Definition Language) template.

Prerequisites

1. Akash CLI: Install the Akash CLI on your system by following the official guide.
2. Akash Wallet: Set up an Akash wallet with sufficient funds to pay for your deployment.
3. Docker Knowledge: Basic familiarity with Docker images.
4. Solar Docker Image: The prebuilt Docker image upstage/solar.

Steps to Deploy Solar on Akash

1. Create a Deployment Folder

Start by creating a folder for your deployment files:

mkdir akash-solar && cd akash-solar

2. Write the SDL File

The SDL file defines the specifications of your deployment, such as the container image, ports, and resources. Use the following example for deploying Solar:

deploy.yaml

version: "2.0"

services:
  solar:
    image: upstage/solar:latest
    env:
      - NODE_ENV=production
    expose:
      - port: 80
        as: 80
        to:
          - global

profiles:
  compute:
    solar:
      resources:
        cpu:
          units: 0.5
        memory:
          size: 512Mi
        storage:
          size: 1Gi
  placement:
    akash:
      attributes:
        region: us-west
      signedBy:
        anyOf:
          - akash.network
      pricing:
        solar:
          denom: uakt
          amount: 100

deployment:
  solar:
    akash:
      profile: solar
      count: 1

3. Validate the SDL File

Run the following command to ensure your SDL file is correctly formatted:

akash validate deploy.yaml

4. Deploy the SDL to Akash

a. Create a Deployment

Submit the SDL file to Akash:

akash tx deployment create deploy.yaml --from <your-wallet-name> --node <akash-node> --chain-id <akash-chain-id>

b. Query Deployment Status

Monitor the status of your deployment:

akash query deployment list --owner <your-address>

c. Fund the Lease

Once the deployment is accepted, fund the lease with tokens:

akash tx deployment deposit <deployment-id> <amount>uakt --from <your-wallet-name>

5. Access the Solar Dashboard

Once the deployment is live, Akash will provide an external IP address or hostname. Access the Solar dashboard in your browser at:

http://<deployment-address>

Overview of the SDL File

• Services Section: Defines the solar service using the Docker image upstage/solar:latest and exposes port 80 to the global network.
• Profiles Section: Configures compute resources, including CPU, memory, and storage. It specifies a pricing model for deployment in Akash tokens (uakt).
• Deployment Section: Links the service to the compute profile and sets the number of instances to 1.

Customizing the Deployment

1. Environment Variables: Update NODE_ENV or add additional environment variables in the env section of the SDL file.
2. Ports: Modify the port and as fields under expose to match your desired setup.
3. Resources: Adjust cpu, memory, and storage based on your performance requirements.

By following this guide, you can successfully deploy and host Solar on Akash, leveraging its decentralized infrastructure to power your blockchain explorer.