Greetings SPOs! ICYMI - we're happy to share that 8.12-pre is now available for the preview network.

Node 8.12.0-pre includes essential changes and fixes that are needed for the Chang hard fork.

➡️ It provides an implementation of CIP-69 for Plutus v3 (only). Existing Plutus v3 scripts will therefore need to be changed. For most cases, no changes are needed for Plutus v1 or v2 scripts; however, if compiling from source, you may have to make some updates related to types. The node also includes a number of bug fixes and performance improvements, as well as enhancements to Peer-to-Peer networking and the CLI including a new debug log-epoch-state command.

➡️ This version of the node is recommended for use on Preview only, but users are advised to test carefully against it since it comprises a release candidate for the Chang hard fork (node version 9.x). Note that node 8.12 includes breaking changes against node version 8.11 or earlier when running in the Conway era (but not Babbage).

For further information about current testnet operations, see Sam Leather's latest update in the #spo-testnets channel: https://discord.com/channels/826816523368005654/915340581411106916/1253656738452996189

Greetings SPOs! Following yesterday’s message in response to the spam attack, we wanted to give you a quick update.

➡️ After investigating the underlying issue, the technical task force has identified the root cause and have successfully deployed a hotfix. This will require SPOs to upgrade to node version 8.12.1:
https://github.com/IntersectMBO/cardano-node/releases/tag/8.12.1

➡️ You may of course still continue to do any testing of this version on the Cardano testnets if you wish to do so. If you encounter any issues, please log them here:
https://github.com/IntersectMBO/cardano-node

Apologies for any inconvenience! And thanks for your support 💪

Addendum - Node version 8.9.4

➡️ Node 8.9.4 provides the same hotfix as node 8.12.1 that was announced earlier today, June 27, but may provide an easier upgrade path for SPOs and tool providers.
https://github.com/IntersectMBO/cardano-node/releases/tag/8.9.4

➡️ Markus Gufler has kindly provided this guide on how to upgrade to node 8.9.4 as well as information on node 8.12.1.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1806379177609732180.html

Last day of voting in Cardano's Project Catalyst today!

🔹 Less than 24 hours left, don't forget to cast yours before July 11, 11AM UTC.

🔹 Only active wallets are eligible for voter rewards. Only proposals with 1% threshold will become fundable (min ±46M ada 'YES/APPROVE' votes).

ICYMI - The Chang development Q&A starts in just under an hour. Hope to see you there!

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAoce2gqjkoGdYtFMFe-yx8f_kE3AxbWhbk

ICYMI - The weekly Chang development Q&A starts in a few hours at 2pm UTC.

This one will likely be short and sweet, at the scale of 10-20 minutes depending on how many questions we have. It's an open door if there's anything you'd like to ask. We hope to see you there!

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEvd-ygpzgpH9SnPVfx3oN3msN1a9aFWxT8#/registration

Node version 9.1.0 is ready for mainnet! 🥳

This release includes the Conway genesis file required to cross the Chang hard fork boundary, as well as a number of bug fixes and enhancements to the CLI and API.

We strongly encourage SPOs and other critical node users (exchanges, explorers, wallets, etc.) to upgrade to this version of the node. An update proposal to trigger the Chang hard fork will be submitted when sufficient SPOs and exchanges have upgraded to this version.

Whereas the Conway genesis file was optional in 9.0.0, in 9.1.0 it is required at startup, making it an ideal measure of the readiness of SPOs for the hard fork. However, if you are not a block producing node, 9.0.0 is sufficient to pass the hard fork boundary, as long as you add the latest configuration files provided with the 9.1.0 release yourself.

Parameter settings - The Conway genesis file includes the parameter settings recommended to us by the community-led Gov Advisory Group of the Parameters Committee. They are preparing a report which we encourage you to read. It will be reshared in this channel when published.

🔹 The necessary Conway genesis and other configuration files can be found here (https://book.play.dev.cardano.org/environments.html).

🔹 Watch this page to track ecosystem readiness for the hard fork (https://docs.intersectmbo.org/cardano/cardano-hardforks-and-upgrades/chang-upgrade/chang-upgrade-1-readiness).

🔹 Find the 9.1.0 release here (https://github.com/IntersectMBO/cardano-node/releases).

Wondering where we are at with Babel Fees for #Cardano? https://x.com/rom1_pellerin/status/1816846763162231025

ICYMI - Gov parameter settings report

The Gov Advisory Group of the Parameter Committee released their report about the governance parameter settings: https://x.com/AdamRusch/status/1816505319926755838

If you'd like to join IOG for next week's SPO call, where we will discuss this report, the 9.1 release, and more, you can add that to your calendar here: https://evt.to/eeuiehgsw

ICYMI - IOG's August SPO Call occurs this Thursday, August 1st at 3pm UTC

🔹 At this SPO call, we'll talk the 9.1 release, upgrades, and ecosystem readiness for Chang, how governance turns on for SPOs with the first and second hard forks, and the latest across core development.

🔹 The agenda will include panelists from the IO Engineering and Intersect's Parameters Committee and Hard Fork Working Group. We encourage you to come with your thoughts and questions as we will take time for discussion on each topic. This is a chance to come talk with other SPOs and with these teams, to build understanding and relationship.

You can add the call to your calendar here: https://evt.to/eeuiehgsw. We look forward to speaking with you!

The target for mainnet hardfork is Tuesday 27th August, with a final go/no go decision scheduled for early Friday 23rd August. https://x.com/IntersectMBO/status/1825946121765896609

Do we need a set of standards for defining ecosystem roles, relationships and sectors?

Would this be worthy of writing a Cardano Problem Statement?

https://forum.cardano.org/t/ecosystem-maps-do-we-need-a-set-of-standards-for-defining-ecosystem-roles-relationships-and-sectors/135155/1

Join the live AMA now with the Hard Fork Working Group and let's get ReadyforChang! https://x.com/IntersectMBO/status/1826666746226331671

Greetings! 👋 re: Open office session and preprod fork.

The IO Engineering team, along with some other members of Intersect's Hard Fork Working Group (HFWG), are having an open office session, Monday 3-3:45pm UTC, to provide support and answer questions about upgrades for the Chang hard fork. Some additional reminders:

🔹 Mainnet hard fork target: September 1st. Intersect announced on Friday that based on consensus of the HFWG, the Mainnet hard fork target has been moved to September 1st.

🔹 Preprod forked-- We do recommend using Preview to test features before they get to Mainnet, but if you planned to test on Preprod instead, now is the time! 🙂

🔹 If you'd like to review the recording and notes from our past developer readiness walkthroughs, you can do that here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D1OnjiDW2plyX-Qu63u0VVApunMNx3gkATI9a6IilvA/edit?usp=sharing

Add Monday's open office session to your calendar here: https://evt.to/eeosdmahw

Chang technical Q&A

Join IO Engineering an other members of the HFWG Thursday at 2pm UTC for a final technical Q&A covering what to expect leading up to the hardfork, providing support, and reiterating what anyone not yet caught up with the rest of the ecosystem should do to prepare for the Chang Hard Fork.

ICYMI 👀 - Intersect's Hard Fork Working Group has set the hard fork date: September 1st.

The agenda for this event is as follows:

Network update (10m)
- HF lead up and event, what to expect
Review of upgrade info for devs (15m)
- costplan and reference scripts
- plutus v1/v2 // v3
- migrating from v2 to v3 + CIP 69
Structured Q&A (15m)
Closing (5m)

We hope to see anyone at this call who is catching up or is just interested in engaging with the HFWG— all systems go!
https://x.com/IntersectMBO/status/1828792949204832753

🔹 Add the event to your calendar here: https://evt.to/eehgiouiw
🔹 Info + links for devs here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D1OnjiDW2plyX-Qu63u0VVApunMNx3gkATI9a6IilvA/edit?usp=sharing

Chang technical Q&A starting in a few minutes 💪

Join here: https://meet.google.com/sxj-hwjj-sin
See the meeting agenda here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D1OnjiDW2plyX-Qu63u0VVApunMNx3gkATI9a6IilvA/edit

Issue notice - Greetings SPOs! And congrats on a successful hard fork.

👉 Be aware that Intersect's hardfork working group has identified that ledger state snapshots break ledger replay in the Conway era when nodes have transitioned from Babbage under mainnet conditions.

Impact:
If you restart your node before 12:00 UTC on 2nd September 2024, you should be unimpacted. After that time, if you restart, you will need to replay from genesis.

A hotfix (version 9.1.1) is in preparation to avoid this and will be made available once testing has been completed - likely in the coming hours. The hotfix will avoid nodes having to replay from genesis, and instead replay as normal. Some relays, and any other nodes on scheduled automatic restarts, may be impacted if restarted prior to upgrading to the hotfix.

Actions and notes:
- Action: It is recommended to avoid restarting your node until the hotfix is released. The hotfix, node version 9.1.1, will be available in the coming hours via
https://github.com/IntersectMBO/cardano-node/releases
- Notes: For anyone with automated restarts (such as relays) it’s advisable to consider changing your restart to before 12:00 UTC on 2nd September 2024, or after upgrading to hotfix 9.1.1

Information about the hotfix will be published here as soon as it is released. For technical support or queries, head over to our hard fork working group Discord channel:
https://discord.com/channels/1136727663583698984/1279758934684471387

Cardano node v.9.1.1

Greetings SPOs, as we recently shared, the hard fork working group identified that ledger state snapshots break ledger replay in the Conway era under mainnet conditions.

👉 We now have a hotfix in v.9.1.1.

Impact:
If you restart your node with node version 9.0.0 or node version 9.1.0 following the Chang hard fork, you must replay the chain from the genesis block each time it restarts. This can take around 90 minutes.

The hotfix (node version 9.1.1) will prevent nodes from replaying from Genesis and instead replay as normal. If an upgrade is made from an earlier version than node 9.0.0, then one replay from Genesis will be required, but the node will behave normally.

Actions and notes:
- Action: It is recommended that you avoid restarting your node until this hotfix is applied (including automated restarts). Tool providers may stagger node restarts until they have upgraded to maintain adequate service.
- Node v.9.1.1 is available at: https://bit.ly/NV911
- Details of the hotfix and other possible mitigations can be found in the following document: https://bit.ly/MCLSD

IOG's September SPO Call occurs this Thursday, September 5th.

🔹 At this SPO call, we'll review the hard fork and the past few days of proceeding into the Conway era, discuss with Intersect's Hard Fork Working Group, and look forward into the SPO role in bootstrapping Cardano governance going ​forward.

🔹 The agenda will include panelists from the IO Engineering and Intersect's Hard Fork Working Group. We encourage you to come with your thoughts and questions as we will take time for discussion on each topic. This is a chance to come talk with these teams, to build understanding and relationship.

Add the call to your calendar here: https://evt.to/eedmdhgdw

We look forward to speaking with you!

SPO Call starting in 5 minutes 💪

https://discord.gg/NP4MmcJP?event=1268599189512781938