Getting Started

The Chimney platform is a powerful platform designed to help you easily deploy, manage, and monitor storage services within the Züs decentralized network. As a critical component of the Züs ecosystem, Chimney provides an intuitive interface for setting up and maintaining blobbers.

This Quickstart Guide is your comprehensive resource for understanding and utilizing Chimney to its fullest potential.

How to Deploy New Blobber

Pre-requisites for Chimney Deployment Machine

Ensure your deployment machine meets the following prerequisites:

Step 1: Server Setup

Upon login, you will be directed to the "Setup a New Server" page. You have two main options:

  • Rent: Select a storage server from a list of data centers.

  • Deploy: If you have your own server, begin the automated deployment process.

Step 2: Server Rental Options

If renting:

  • Review the server options available from different providers.

  • Compare specifications and prices.

  • Visit the provider to rent a server or select "Deploy" to proceed with your own server.

Step 3: Deploy

On the configuration page, you will be required to define key settings for your blobber deployment:

Server Configuration

  • Write Price / GB / Month: Define the price per gigabyte per month that you will charge for storage services. Adjust this according to the market conditions or your specific revenue goals.

  • Read Price / GB: This is where you would set the price for reading data from your blobber. Note that on Züs, all reads are currently free, so this setting may not be applicable at the moment.

  • Server Name: Enter a name for your server in the provided field. By default, this will be your username, but you can customize it to reflect your server's purpose or any naming convention you prefer.

Delegation and Staking Settings:

  • Do you wish to delegate?: Toggle this option if you want to allow other users (delegates) to stake on your server. This can be an attractive feature for both you and the delegates, as it enables you to share revenue generated by the storage services your blobber provides.

  • Number of Delegates: Specify the number of delegates you want to allow. Delegates are essentially stakeholders who can earn a portion of the revenue generated by your blobber. Adjust this according to how much you want to share your earnings. If you prefer to keep all earnings to yourself, set this to 1.

  • Service Charge %: Define the percentage of the earnings that will be taken as a service charge. This setting determines the profit you retain from the delegated stakes. Higher service charges mean more profit for you, but it might make your blobber less attractive to potential delegates. Balance it carefully to optimize your earnings and delegate participation.

Input Fields
Description

Write Price / GB / Month

Set the price per GB per month for data writing to your blobber. Adjustments affect earnings.

Read Price / GB

Reads are free on Züs, so no charge for data retrieval.

Name of the server

Specify the unique identifier for your server, visible on the network. Defaulted to your username; unchangeable post-deployment.

Do you wish to delegate?

A checkbox to allow others to stake on your server and share generated income, diversifying investment.

Number of Delegates

Limits the number of delegates who can stake on your server.

Service Charge

Set the percentage of earnings as a service fee. This affects the incentive for delegates and the attractiveness of your blobber to potential stakers.

Step 4: Server IP Address or Domain

  • Provide your server’s IP address or domain URL to generate a custom script for deployment.

  • Ensure that your server meets all the prerequisites listed, like the Ubuntu Linux version, root user setup, and minimum mounted capacity. Follow the instructions provided for mounting if needed.

  • After fulfilling all prerequisites, click “Create, fund server wallets and generate script”. A loading message will indicate that the process is in progress.

  • This step automates the process of creating server wallets for blobber and validator, funding the first server wallets for transaction fees, and generating a script to join the network.

Once complete, you will receive toast notifications for each successful step.

Step 5: Running the Deployment Script

  • Follow the instructions provided on the screen to execute the script on your server.

  • The platform will automatically check the server communication to ensure the script has run successfully.

  • If there's a delay, you may see a warning prompt asking if you're still there and if you have run the script on your server.

If your deployment is taking longer time and you need to continue to the dashboard until your deployment is done, maybe to check if there's an error or fund the wallet of your blobber/validator, you can click the "Continue to the Dashboard" button.

Step 6: Deployment Confirmation

  • Upon successful deployment, user will be redirected to the Dashboard Page. This is where you can manage and monitor your blobber. If any errors occur, they will be displayed in a toast notification.

CRITICAL: It's crucial to keep your deployment online and accessible at the IP address you provided. Any downtime could result in penalties. Please note that if your deployment is continuously offline for three weeks, it may be automatically removed from the network.

This could lead to a penalty of up to half of your staked ZCN amount. Our commitment to our clients is to provide the highest quality of service possible. We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining the reliability and performance of both your deployment and the Züs Network.

By following these steps, you will have a blobber set up to join the Züs network. If you have any questions or encounter any issues, please join our Discord for further assistance.

How to Add Stakes to Blobber

Staking on a blobber supports the network infrastructure and potentially yields attractive rewards for the stakeholder. Staking on a blobber involves a few key steps, from selecting the amount to stake to confirming the transaction details. This guide will walk you through the process of adding stakes to a blobber in the network.

Step 1: Add Stake

Go to the stake section on the dashboard and click on "Add Stake." to start a staking process.

Step 2: Choose Stake Amount

Go to the "Select Amount" section and enter the amount you wish to stake on the blobber. Click "Next" to proceed.

Step 3: Confirm Stake Details

  • Review your staking details, including the "Amount to Stake" and the "Fees" for the transaction.

  • After reviewing the stake details and selecting your preferred transaction speed, click on "Confirm and Stake" to continue with the process.

Step 4: Payment Method

Choose to "Pay from existing balance" if you have sufficient ZCN, or select "Get" to acquire more ZCN.

Fig13: Payment Options

After selecting your payment method, wait for the transaction to process. This may take a few seconds.

Step 5: Transaction Confirmation

Once the stake is processed, a confirmation message will appear, confirming your submitted stake for the selected amount of ZCN. Optionally, click "View on Explorer" to verify the transaction on the blockchain.

Click "Back to Stake Page" to finish or to start another staking transaction.

How to Monitor your Blobber

Monitoring your blobber is a critical task to ensure that it functions efficiently and provides reliable storage services within the Züs network. The Chimney platform equips you with robust monitoring tools that allow you to track key performance metrics, storage utilization, and the overall health of the machine running your deployment.

This section will guide you through the steps necessary to monitor your blobber effectively, using the tools and features available on the Chimney platform.

Step 1: Access Monitor Section

You can access this page by clicking "Monitor" from the left navigation menu. Using this page, you can check diagnostics and metrics of your chimney deployment and the machine running it.

We use Prometheus and Grafana to extract metrics and logs for monitoring; you can visit the Grafana Dashboard of your deployment from the button on the top left part of this page, shown in the image above.

Step 2: Analyze Storage Statistics Section

This section shows the statistics related to storage space of your blobber, this includes:

  • Unallocated Storage: This is the amount and percentage of staked storage offered by your blobber but still not involved in an allocation.

  • Allocated: This is the amount and percentage of staked storage offered by your blobber and involved in user allocations.

  • Used: This is the amount and percentage of allocated storage that actually carries users' data.

Step 3: Review Machine Metrics Section

This sections shows some of the key metrics of the machine running your deployment. Those metrics are:

Metric
Description

CPU Usage

Current utilization of the machine's CPU.

Memory Usage

Current occupied memory size of the machine.

Disk Usage

Current usage of the machine's storage.

Average CPU Load

Current Linux Average Load. This metric is a time-dependent average of the number of process running and waiting on the CPU. Its actual calculations involve some deep mathematical knowledge, but it needs to always be less than the number of your CPU cores.

Incoming Network Traffic

Ingress data flow rate of your machine.

Outgoing Network Traffic

Egress data flow rate of your machine.

How to Update Blobber Settings

The "Update Blobber Settings" provides a centralized location for managing the configurations of your blobbers. You can access this page by clicking the "Update Blobber Settings" item in the left navigation menu of the settings page.

  • Update Blobber Configs: Modify core settings such as write/read prices, service charges, and delegate numbers to optimize operational costs and performance.

  • Update Blobber URL: Adjust the URL associated with a blobber to reflect changes in endpoint addresses or to enhance network connectivity.

  • Update Blobber IP: Change the IP address of a blobber to accommodate network changes or upgrades to infrastructure.

Let's dive into more details of each feature below:

Update Blobber Configuration

In the "Update Blobber Config" section, you can fine-tune your blobber's operational parameters. Adjusting these settings allows you to control how your blobber's resources are allocated and monetized.

Step 1: Write Price / GB / Month:

  • Set the price you wish to charge for writing data to your blobber, per gigabyte per month. This is a crucial setting as it directly impacts your earnings from the storage services you provide.

Step 2: Read Price / GB:

  • Here, you can specify the cost for reading data from your blobber per gigabyte. Currently, all reads are free on Züs.

Step 3: Number of Delegates:

  • Enter the number of delegates you wish to allow. Delegates are users who can stake tokens on your blobber, helping to secure the network and share in the revenue from your blobber's services.

Note: If you prefer not to share earnings, input 1. Otherwise, enter the number of individuals, up to 100, with whom you'd like to share rewards.

Step 4: Service Charge %:

  • This is the percentage of earnings that will be taken as a service charge. It's important to balance competitiveness with profitability when determining this percentage.

Note: If you have no intention of staking, you can input a service charge, up to 50% to share earnings with your fellow delegates.

Finally, you can update these fields by clicking the "Update Blobber Details" button. Upon successfully updating your blobber settings, you will receive a toast notification confirming the changes.

These adjustments will take effect immediately, ensuring your blobber operates under the new parameters without delay.

Update Blobber URL

The "Update Blobber URL" section allows you to modify the URL associated with a specific blobber within your network. To Update Your Blobber URL

Step 1: Enter Current URL:

  • The interface displays the current URL associated with the blobber. Review this to confirm which blobber’s URL you are updating.

Step 2: Specify the New URL:

  • Input the new URL in the provided field. Ensure you include the correct protocol (e.g., https://) to match your network security requirements.

Step 3: Generate Script:

  • Once you've entered the new URL, click the "Generate Script" button. This action will produce the necessary configuration script to update the blobber's URL in the system. Execute the generated script within your environment to apply the new URL to the specified blobber.

The script needs to be executed on the machine where you deployed the blobber. This step is essential to apply the new URL settings correctly and ensure that your blobber remains connected to the network with the updated configuration.

Update Blobber IP

This feature allows users to modify the network address of their blobber to accommodate changes in network configurations.

Step 1: View Current IP

  • Click on Update Blobber IP to view IP details. The current IP address of the blobber is displayed under the 'Current IP' field. This is the IP address currently assigned to your blobber.

Step 2: Enter New IP

In the 'New IP' field, type the new IP address that you want to assign to your blobber. Ensure this is a valid IP address that conforms to network standards.

Step 3: Submit the Change:

After verifying the new IP address, click the 'Update Blobber IP' button to apply the changes. This action updates the blubber's IP address in the system.

How to Claim Rewards in Chimney

Step 1: Access Claimable Staking Rewards

  • Navigate to the "Claim Rewards" section in Chimney. This displays the total ZCN available to be claimed.

Step 2: Initiate Claim Process

  • Click the "Claim Rewards" button to start the process. A dialog box will appear, showing a list of providers from which you can claim rewards, the total amount claimable, and the transaction fee.

Step 3: Confirm Claim Process

  • Review the details in the dialog box carefully. Confirm the claim by clicking on the confirmation button provided.

How to Remove Stakes

Step 1: Manage Current Stakes

  • Go to the "Current Stakes" section on the Stakes Page to see all active stakes. This section lists details such as provider type (validator or blubber), staked amount, pending rewards, and unique management IDs.

Step 2: Adjust or Remove Stakes

  • From the "Current Stakes" list, select the stake you wish to manage.

  • Use the manage stake dialog to either adjust your stake or remove it, keeping in mind the network’s terms and potential impacts on your rewards.

Step 3: Remove Stake

  • Click on Remove stake and add the amount that needs to be unstacked.

Step 4: Confirm Remove Stake

  • After clicking on next, you will see a fee associated with removing stakes. Review the fee and the amount that needs to be unstacked. Then click on Remove stake, and the stakes will be removed.

Therefore, within the manage stake dialog, users can choose to remove their stake, which should be done with consideration of the network's staking terms and potential implications on rewards.

How to Restrict your Blobbers

Restricted blobbers provide private storage solutions that are visible only to authorized users. This feature is particularly useful for enterprise users needing controlled access to storage resources. Only whitelisted IDs will be able to see and interact with the restricted blobber.

Step 1: Access the Manage Blobber Section

  • Go to the 'Chimney' Dashboard and access the 'Manage Blobbers' section. Ensure that you have authorized restricted access to the blobber by going to the 'Update Settings' under the three dots.

Step 2: Updated Restricted Access

  • Select 'Yes' on 'Authorize restricted access to this blobber' and click 'Update Blobber Details'.

Step 3: Add a Client

  • Now to add a client, Go to the 'Chimney' Dashboard again and access the 'Manage Blobbers' section. Click on the three dots under 'more' column for the blobber you wish to restrict access to and select 'Add Client'.

  • A window will appear where you must input the client ID (Wallet Address). After entering the ID, click 'Add'. If this is the first time a client is being added to the restricted blobber, you will need to run the deployment script provided by Chimney to apply the changes. This step is crucial to ensure that the blobber recognizes the new client and enforces the restricted access settings.

Step 4: Go to Blimp or Vult and Add a Blobber

This step must be performed by the authorized client, not the owner of the blobber.

  • Once your wallet ID is whitelisted, go to any Zus platform, i.e. Blimp, Vult, and try adding a blobber. You will be shown the screen where you can toggle the 'Show Restricted Blobber Only' option to view the blobbers you have access to and match your allocation terms. Note that the "Brand" of the blobber will also be effective in the case of restricted blobbers. Then add the blobbers you want.

  • When you select the "Add" option, you will be prompted to enter an authorization key. This key is required to access restricted blobbers.

  • Once you provide the authorization key, a popup will appear prompting you to pay the fee using your existing ZCN balance. If your balance is insufficient, you will have the option to 'Get ZCN' to purchase ZCN tokens directly from your MetaMask wallet.

Additional Requirements: Ensure that the blobber's write price range meets the allocation terms to be eligible for addition to your selected blobbers. This ensures that the blobber's cost aligns with your budget and usage requirements.

How to Check Wallet Information

You can access this page by clicking "Wallet" from the left navigation menu. On this page, you can view information about your wallet and the latest transactions, as well as some controls like internal and external ZCN exchange and funding your blobber/validator.

Wallet Information Section

In this section, you can view your wallet information like your wallet address, private key and public key.

Wallet Actions Section

In this section, you can:

  • View your wallet's available balance and the amount of staked ZCN out of it.

  • View the available balance for your blobber/validator operational wallet.

  • Send/Receive ZCN tokens internally (same in Bolt app, more details here).

  • Deposit/Withdraw ZCN tokens from Metamask Wallet (same in Bolt app, more details here).

  • Get/Swap ZCN with ERC-20 tokens (same in Bolt app, more details here).

  • Fund your blobber/validator wallet, which is the same as sending zcn tokens to their operational wallet.

  • Buy ZCN tokens from Metamask wallet

Recent Transactions

In this section you can view the latest transactions your wallet involved in, including some information like transaction date, status and ZCN value (incl. fees). Clicking on the hash of the transaction redirects you to the transaction details page on Atlus.

Insufficient Funds Notification

Notification Overview

The Blobber Wallet Low Funds Notification is designed to alert users whenever the balance in their Blobber wallet falls below the minimum required to cover the monthly operational fees. This proactive feature ensures users can maintain uninterrupted service by timely funding their wallets.

The primary reason for receiving a low funds notification is when the Blobber wallet balance is below the Blobber monthly fee. The formula for estimating the monthly fee includes:

monthlyFee = tokenToZCN(
    commit_connection * 720 * 100 +
    challenge_response * 720 * 100 +
    blobber_health_check * 720
)

This calculation takes into account the transaction fees for blobber commits, challenge responses, and health checks, multiplying each by the number of hours in a month.

How to Check Stats and Logs

You can access this page by clicking "Stats" from the left navigation menu.

Using this page, you can view statistics and key information about your blobber. Those information include the following:

Summary

Field
Description

Allocated Size

Storage Size involved in users allocations.

Used Size

Storage Size occupied with data, including users' files as well as thumbnails, as tracked by the blobber's database.

Files Size

Size of the files uploaded by the users.

Thumbnail Size

Size of the thumbnails created to preview the users in the icons of the UI.

Disk Size Used

Storage Size used/occupied by the user files actually on the machine (including temporary files).

Num of Block Writes

Total number of file blocks written to the blobber.

Num of writes

Total number of files written/uploaded to the blobber.

Num of Reads

Total number of blocks downloaded from the blobber.

Num of allocations

Count of allocations hosted on the blobber.

Configurations

Field
Description

Capacity

Total amount of storage space offered by the blobber

Read Price

All Read Prices on Züs are 0!

Write Price

Price of uploading files to allocations hosted on this blobber, in ZCN/GB/Month

Markers

Field
Description

Accepted

Markers submitted to the network and was accepted.

Committed

Markers committed to the network.

Failed

Markers submitted to the network but failed to be redeemed.

Logs

You can access this page by clicking "Logs" from the left navigation menu.

As you can see in the animated image above, you can:

  • View the logs of your blobber/validator as JSON.

  • Limit the number of logs in each page.

  • Search by a specific string in your logs.

We depend on Loki to gather and present the logs. Click the "Go to Loki" button to visit the Loki dashboard in the grafana of your deployment.

How to Check Your Blobber Ranking

The Chimney platform offers a dedicated page for users to monitor and analyze the performance of their blobbers within the Züs network. The Rank reflects the overall quality of service provided by your blobber. A higher rank generally indicates that your blobber is performing well across multiple metrics, including challenge success rate, service uptime, and storage utilization. Here’s how the rank reflects the quality:

  • High Rank: Indicates excellent performance with a high success rate in challenges, consistent uptime, and efficient storage management. High-ranked blobbers are seen as more reliable and trustworthy by the network.

  • Low Rank: Suggests issues with challenge responses, possible downtime, or inefficient storage use. Low-ranked blobbers may need improvements to meet the network's standards.

This page can be opened by clicking "Rank" from the left navigation menu of the Chimney dashboard.

Summary Section

This section shows 4 pieces of information about your blobber's challenge progress

Your Global Rank

This is the global rank of your blobber based on the success percentage of the challenges.

30 Day Completion %

This is the success percentage of the challenges (out of all the generated challenges for the blobber) over a 30-day period.

30 Day Challenges Passed

This is the count of the passed/successful challenges of the blobber over a 30-day period.

30 Day Challenges Failed

This is the count of the failed challenges of the blobber over a 30-day period.

Challenges Graph

This graph shows the increase of the count of your blobber's successful and failed challenges (each colored with different color as shown in the image). You can also change the time interval within which you need to show data on your graph from the date picker in the top right corner of the graph.

Daily Challenge Counts Table

This table shows the counts of the challenges of your blobbers day by day. Those counts are:

Open Challenges

Total challenges generated for the blobber by the blockchain.

Passed Challenges

Count of successful/passed challenges out of the total open challenges.

Failed Challenges

Count of failed challenges out of the total open challenges.

Total Challenges

Sum of successful and failed challenges.

If you have any questions or encounter any issues, please join our Discord for further assistance.

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