Skip to content

Consensus Network Foundation – Phase 1 Kickoff Checklist

This checklist tracks the immediate engineering tasks required to bring the DATU Stellar fork online with project-specific parameters. Update the status boxes as work completes so the broader program can see day-to-day progress without waiting for formal documentation drops.

1. Repository & Environment Preparation

  • [ ] Clone upstream stellar-core and horizon repositories locally for reference and to extract default configuration samples.
  • [ ] Mirror the repositories into the DATU GitHub organization (private) so we can pin fork revisions for compliance review.
  • [ ] Capture hardware security module (HSM) integration notes from the vendor and confirm signing client compatibility with Stellar Core.

2. Network Parameter Definition

  • [x] Draft a NETWORK_PASSPHRASE and ledger metadata that matches DATU naming conventions (e.g., DATU Testnet 01). See config/stellar-core.cfg and config/ledger-parameters.md.
  • [x] Define the initial validator roster with tier classification, public keys, quorum weights, and history archives; encode this in config/quorumsets.toml and config/stellar-core.cfg.
  • [x] Produce a seed account inventory with intended use cases (treasury, integration testing, observability) and model balances in config/accounts.json.
  • [x] Enumerate ledger parameter deltas (ledger close time, max transactions, Soroban execution ceilings) compared to Stellar public network and document rationale in commit messages for auditability. Tracked in config/ledger-parameters.md.

3. Local Fork Configuration

  • [x] Extend the Docker Compose service with explicit environment variables for the DATU passphrase and core configuration overrides.
  • [x] Provide sample Soroban settings (config/soroban.toml) that reflect contract execution budgets required by downstream teams.
  • [x] Script a deterministic volume reset (scripts/stellar-fork/reset.sh) so engineers can wipe state between test cycles without hunting Docker commands.
  • [x] Add a docker compose profile for secondary validator containers so the quorum can be exercised locally before remote deployments.

4. Validator Key Management

  • [x] Generate validator keypairs inside the HSM, export public keys, and attach metadata (tier, owner, contact) for the governance roster. Documented in operations/ledger-security-register.md.
  • [ ] Verify the quickstart container can consume HSM-backed signing via the SIGNING_KEY_SEED_PATH or equivalent integration hook.
  • [x] Draft a rotation playbook covering compromised key response and annual key maintenance windows. Documented in operations/key-rotation-playbook.md.

5. CI/CD Enablement

  • [ ] Add a GitHub Actions workflow that builds the Docker image daily and runs health checks against the compose stack.
  • [ ] Integrate Soroban contract build/test jobs so contract engineers receive fast feedback when pushing to shared branches.
  • [x] Publish artifact retention policies (ledger snapshots, container logs) for compliance and debugging. See operations/artifact-retention-policy.md.

6. Observability & Operations

  • [ ] Attach Prometheus/Grafana sidecars or exporters to the fork to collect validator metrics and ledger events.
  • [ ] Configure alert thresholds for ledger stalls, quorum failure, or Soroban execution errors and route them to the on-call channel.
  • [ ] Draft an operational readiness checklist covering runbooks, paging rotations, and incident communication flows.

7. Coordination with Phase 0 Mobilization

  • [x] Link each technical deliverable above to the mobilization backlog owner so governance, compliance, and tooling stakeholders can review changes before promotion beyond local testing. Owners captured in the Phase 1 execution brief.
  • [x] Surface risks discovered during configuration (regulatory, procurement, staffing) to the joint risk register with proposed mitigations. Documented in the same execution brief under the Risk Register Touchpoints section.
  • [x] Schedule twice-weekly syncs between validator engineers and mobilization leads until Phase 0 exit criteria are satisfied. Standing meetings logged in the execution brief timeline.

8. Initial Testnet Deployment Readiness

  • [x] Publish an execution brief outlining validator roles, Soroban limits, and the staged deployment approach for DATU Testnet v1. See docs/phase1-network-foundation.md.
  • [x] Define Friendbot funding sources and scripted regression accounts so QA teams can exercise Soroban scenarios. Captured in config/accounts.json.
  • [ ] Provision remote history archive buckets for each validator operator and test retention policies.
  • [x] Draft the validator onboarding packet (runbooks, passphrase handling, compliance checklist) for distribution ahead of remote deployments. Stored in onboarding/validator-onboarding-packet.md.

Usage: Keep this file in the repository to make Phase 1 progress visible to contributors working off the codebase. Update status as tasks complete and submit changes via pull request so the history becomes an auditable trail.