Akash Node Deployment Via Omnibus

Deploy an Akash RPC node on the Akash Network itself using Cosmos Omnibus. This method uses a pre-built Docker image and automated sync with blockchain snapshots (updated hourly).

Time: 5-10 minutes (deployment) + 20-30 minutes (blockchain sync via snapshot)

Requirements:

Akash wallet with ~2 AKT (0.5 AKT deposit + usage)
Akash Console or CLI

Deployment SDL

Use this SDL to deploy an Akash node on the network:

---
version: "2.0"

services:
  node:
    image: ghcr.io/akash-network/cosmos-omnibus:v1.2.35-akash-v1.1.0
    env:
      - MONIKER=my-akash-node
      - CHAIN_JSON=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/akash-network/net/main/mainnet/meta.json
      - FASTSYNC_VERSION=v0
      - P2P_POLKACHU=1
      - SNAPSHOT_URL=https://snapshots.akash.network/akashnet-2/latest
      - SNAPSHOT_DATA_PATH=data
      - ADDRBOOK_POLKACHU=1
    expose:
      - port: 26657
        to:
          - global: true
      - port: 26656
        to:
          - global: true
    params:
      storage:
        data:
          mount: /root/.akash

profiles:
  compute:
    node:
      resources:
        cpu:
          units: 4
        memory:
          size: 32Gi
        storage:
          - size: 10Gi
          - name: data
            size: 400Gi
            attributes:
              persistent: true
              class: beta3
  placement:
    dcloud:
      attributes:
        host: akash
      signedBy:
        anyOf:
          - akash1365yvmc4s7awdyj3n2sav7xfx76adc6dnmlx63
      pricing:
        node:
          denom: uakt
          amount: 1000

deployment:
  node:
    dcloud:
      profile: node
      count: 1

Configuration Options

Persistent Storage

The SDL uses persistent storage for blockchain data:

10Gi ephemeral - For temporary files and logs
400Gi persistent (beta3) - For blockchain data mounted at /root/.akash

Why persistent storage?

Survives pod restarts
Faster redeployment (no re-sync needed)
Better for long-running nodes

Storage classes:

beta3 - NVMe (fastest, recommended)
beta2 - SSD
beta1 - HDD

To adjust storage size:

storage:
  - size: 10Gi
  - name: data
    size: 400Gi      # Increase for more headroom
    attributes:
      persistent: true
      class: beta3   # Change to beta2 or beta1 if needed

Environment Variables

Pre-configured:

env:
  - MONIKER=my-akash-node                                    # Your node name (change this)
  - CHAIN_JSON=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/.../meta.json  # Chain config
  - FASTSYNC_VERSION=v0                                       # Fast sync (v0 recommended)
  - P2P_POLKACHU=1                                           # Use Polkachu peer nodes
  - SNAPSHOT_URL=https://snapshots.akash.network/.../latest   # Hourly snapshots
  - SNAPSHOT_DATA_PATH=data                                   # Snapshot extraction path
  - ADDRBOOK_POLKACHU=1                                       # Use Polkachu address book

Snapshots: Updated hourly at https://snapshots.akash.network/akashnet-2/latest

Resource Requirements

Current SDL specs:

CPU: 4 cores
Memory: 32 GB
Storage: 10 GB (ephemeral) + 400 GB (persistent)

To adjust:

cpu:
  units: 8         # More cores = faster initial sync
memory:
  size: 64Gi       # More RAM for better performance
storage:
  - size: 10Gi
  - name: data
    size: 1000Gi   # 1TB for long-term operation

Provider Selection

The SDL includes signedBy to ensure deployment on trusted Akash providers:

signedBy:
  anyOf:
    - akash1365yvmc4s7awdyj3n2sav7xfx76adc6dnmlx63  # Akash address

This restricts deployment to providers audited by the specified Akash Core Team address, ensuring reliability for critical node infrastructure.

Deployment

Via Akash Console

Open Akash Console
Create new deployment
Paste the SDL above
Adjust storage size to at least 400Gi
Accept .5 AKT deposit
Select a provider from bids
Wait for deployment to start

Via Akash CLI

# Save SDL to deploy.yaml
provider-services tx deployment create deploy.yaml \
  --from mykey \
  --node https://rpc.akashnet.net:443 \
  --chain-id akashnet-2 \
  --deposit 500000uakt \
  --gas auto \
  --gas-adjustment 1.5 \
  --gas-prices 0.025uakt

Verification

Get Your Node URL

Your node is accessible via the provider URL and assigned port.

In Akash Console:

View your deployment
Find the “Leases” section
Look for port 26657 mapping
Note the provider URL and assigned port (e.g., provider.example.com:12345)

Your node URL format: http://provider-url:assigned-port

Check Sync Status

Access your node via the deployment URL:

# Replace with your provider URL and assigned port
curl http://provider.example.com:12345/status | jq '.result.sync_info'

Expected output:

{
  "latest_block_height": "15234567",
  "catching_up": false
}

Note: catching_up: true means sync is in progress. With hourly snapshots, this typically takes 20-30 minutes depending on connection speed.

Compare Block Height

Check current block height on Mintscan and compare with your node’s latest_block_height.

Check Peer Connections

# Replace with your provider URL and assigned port
curl http://provider.example.com:12345/net_info | jq '.result.n_peers'

Expected: 10+ connected peers