> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.kotal.co/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.kotal.co/tutorials/polkadot/validator.md).

# Deploy Kusama Validator

### Deploy Kusama Node

The following manifest describes Kusama node that syncs Kusama relay chain `network: kusama`, in archive mode `pruning: false`, and uses [Parity Polkadot](https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot) client:

{% hint style="info" %}
By default, Validator nodes are in archive mode, but Kotal requires that node explicitly mark the node as archive node by setting `pruning: false`.
{% endhint %}

{% code title="kusama.yaml" %}

```yaml
apiVersion: polkadot.kotal.io/v1alpha1
kind: Node
metadata:
  name: kusama-node
spec:
  network: kusama
  pruning: false
```

{% endcode %}

Apply `kusama.yaml` manifest:

```bash
kubectl apply -f kusama.yaml
```

Kotal operator will notice your `kusama-node` and will create all the necessary pods, persistent volumes, services, configmaps, and secrets neccessary.

You can fetch the deployed Polkadot `Node` using:

```bash
kubectl get nodes.polkadot
```

It will return an output similar to the following:

```bash
NAME             NETWORK     VALIDATOR
kusama-node      kusama      fasle
```

### Fetch Node Logs

Get the pods that has been created by Kotal for the node:

```bash
kubectl get pods
```

It will return an output similar to the following:

```bash
NAME                  READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
kusama-node-0         1/1     Running   0          1m
```

Get the logs of the running node:

```bash
kubectl logs -f kusama-node-0
```

It will return node logs similar to the following:

```
2021-10-18 15:32:38 ----------------------------
2021-10-18 15:32:38 This chain is not in any way
2021-10-18 15:32:38       endorsed by the
2021-10-18 15:32:38      KUSAMA FOUNDATION
2021-10-18 15:32:38 ----------------------------
2021-10-18 15:32:38 Parity Polkadot
2021-10-18 15:32:38 ✌️  version 0.9.11-bfd38ed62-x86_64-linux-gnu
2021-10-18 15:32:38 ❤️  by Parity Technologies <admin@parity.io>, 2017-2021
2021-10-18 15:32:38 📋 Chain specification: Kusama
2021-10-18 15:32:38 🏷 Node name: validator-node-sample
2021-10-18 15:32:38 👤 Role: AUTHORITY
2021-10-18 15:32:38 💾 Database: RocksDb at /polkadot/kotal-data/chains/ksmcc3/db/full
2021-10-18 15:32:38 ⛓  Native runtime: kusama-9110 (parity-kusama-0.tx7.au2)
2021-10-18 15:32:38 🔨 Initializing Genesis block/state (state: 0xb000…ef6b, header-hash: 0xb0a8…dafe)
2021-10-18 15:32:38 👴 Loading GRANDPA authority set from genesis on what appears to be first startup.
2021-10-18 15:32:39 ⏱  Loaded block-time = 6s from block 0xb0a8d493285c2df73290dfb7e61f870f17b41801197a149ca93654499ea3dafe
2021-10-18 15:32:39 👶 Creating empty BABE epoch changes on what appears to be first startup.
2021-10-18 15:32:39 🏷 Local node identity is: 12D3KooWFEHU9FXqGCL6ify4rqcon31WYViCnUfA6aVYTjRXqJ5F
2021-10-18 15:32:39 📦 Highest known block at #0
2021-10-18 15:32:39 〽️ Prometheus exporter started at 0.0.0.0:9615
2021-10-18 15:32:39 Listening for new connections on 127.0.0.1:9944.
2021-10-18 15:32:39 👶 Starting BABE Authorship worker
...
```

### Enable Validator

Once the node is fully synced, enable validator by updating the node with `validator: true`:

{% code title="kusama.yaml" %}

```yaml
apiVersion: polkadot.kotal.io/v1alpha1
kind: Node
metadata:
  name: kusama-node
spec:
  network: kusama
  pruning: false
  validator: true
```

{% endcode %}

Apply the updated `kusama.yaml` Node manifest:

```bash
kubectl apply -f kusama.yaml
```

Fetch the deployed Polkadot `Node` using:

```bash
kubectl get nodes.polkadot
```

It will return an output similar to the following:

```bash
NAME             NETWORK     VALIDATOR
kusama-node      kusama      true
```

Note that validator has changed from false to true.

### Remaining Steps

The remainig steps in setting up a validator are:

* Bonding KSM
* Generating Session Keys
* Setting Session Keys by signing and submitting an extrinsic
* Relax 🏝️

These steps are documented in [Polkadot Wiki](https://wiki.polkadot.network/docs/maintain-guides-how-to-validate-polkadot).

We will cover next how to generate a session key.

#### Generating Session Key

{% hint style="danger" %}
Validator nodes can't enable external HTTP or WS JSON-RPC servers.
{% endhint %}

Session key can be generated by calling `author_rotateKeys` JSON-RPC method.

Forward localhost:9933 calls to the node pod because `rpcPort: 9933`:

```bash
kubectl port-forward polkadot-node-0 9933
```

{% hint style="info" %}
9933 is the default HTTP JSON-RPC server listening port, can be changed by setting node `.spec.rpcPort`
{% endhint %}

In another terminal window call `author_rotateKeys` JSON-RPC method to get a new session key:

```bash
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"id":1, "jsonrpc":"2.0", "method": "author_rotateKeys", "params":[]}' http://127.0.0.1:9933
```

You will get JSON result similar to the following:

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": "0x159256d69a61b523a211d7845a92d5a238f6a97b53627c4aa92665eb6bc2959dc88c9c279ad01b8acf90573ca005f6565c4a0d88d19951740b8f8ec38c63b344b2c186e703ce88f0f4b628263265ffefa1cdc148c79a5608ccc7734e6a0bfb077076c5f370491331819d17884b9aa4e41d4e2bec774b5c31251203266c446a2ec02d89f5ecefcc75777d4de74766a57fbafe65b1850500875e8cf2fed3325f65",
  "id": 1
}
```

You can set the sesison key as documented in [Polkadot Wiki](https://wiki.polkadot.network/docs/maintain-guides-how-to-validate-polkadot).

Finally you can delete the node by:

```bash
kubectl delete -f kusama.yaml

node.polkadot.kotal.io "kusama-node" deleted
```

Kubernetes garbage collector will delete all the resources that has been created by Kotal Polkadot `Node` controller.