Configure Blockchain Lab network

[nuke-web3]

Goals:

• Enabe PBA team to stand up test networks accessible for class use
• Allow peering between VLAN connected machines and cloud-based [boot] nodes
• ..more?

We will have a class-wide VLAN accessible that will provide access to a dedicated relay chain network. Network specifications are a WIP here.

Other than ports being open for peering with other student's local nodes, and providing boot nodes for testing solo-chains (perhaps), primarily we want a relay chain that is hosted for students to connect a parachain to in the Polkadot & XCM modules.

• We want something like a Rococo clone, managed for student use. ~80 parachains total.
  • Slot allocation automation, so students can get one on demand. But no elevated privileges on the relay chain for them.
  • Likey we will need a normal deployment of something on the order of 100 validators, supported by Parity devops. Less likely there may be a path to only a few validators

[BradleyOlson64]

How automated do we want slot allocation to be?
There are a couple efficient things I think we can do from the outset. Give each student a relay chain address with an ample balance to pay fees and a pre-assigned paraId. Then perhaps modify our paraSudoWrapper so that it is accessible to students without any other elevated privileges (not sure how possible that is)

[nuke-web3]

Rather than hand them a key (poor form in a trusless world 😉 !), have them create one and:

• use a faucet to get some tokens or,
• make a game of it to win/earn them or,
• (most likely) use use a form to gather these addresses and batch send everyone enough to start. (we will anyway for other things in the academy I would think) or,
• some combination of the above.

What would students need paraSudoWrapper authority for here? to register their chain? I figure paritytech/polkadot#3943 is likely good enough for our needs but would want to select parameters or tweak this pallet to allow for even more automation and/or ability to alter their parachain slot as needed.

[BradleyOlson64]

Gotcha. Yours sounds like a solid approach. My experience with setting up a parachain comes from the guide. https://docs.substrate.io/tutorials/connect-relay-and-parachains/connect-a-local-parachain/

So I was going off how I'd adapt that in the absence of pre existing tooling like paritytech/polkadot#3943 Thanks for filling me in!

[nuke-web3]

The Adlib team (on site support) shared doc outlining the overall VLAN info for us and some to surface on Notion ( #403 ):

• Reference on Use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OJg5faLsp892DqZPn8kagMZ6UfvV9pJyem1y4-qQ7aM/edit
• Requirements Outlined: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PWvBRYPx0Cw9WokTqcgxI0-B7Fw8-5p-tUaQTQmGLiI/edit

[BradleyOlson64]

Can't follow the link to this VLAN info since the google doc wasn't shared with me. Able to get that sorted out?

[JoshOrndorff]

Is this VLAN specifically for a class wide relay chain? Would we be able to use it for the activity in modules 3 and 4 where students launch a class-wide substrate chain?

[nuke-web3]

Updated permissions @JoshOrndorff @BradleyOlson64 so you should be able to see and comment.

This is for everyone to use, and I hope we lean into the ability to get people running nodes in any lesson/activity/assignment that makes sense!

[nuke-web3]

https://gitlab.parity.io/parity/infrastructure/parity-testnet/-/tree/master/buenos IIUC is what we settled on being the solution for a lab env. @BradleyOlson64 care to close this if so? The thing that is lacking here that a followup issue must address: the instructions on how to stand this up without the Parity devops team ... that exist?

[BradleyOlson64]

Such instructions do not exist, and definitely should!