Troubleshooting Unhealthy Nodes

Steps to take when a server is unhealthy or has been removed from the network, but the connectivity in the data center is functioning correctly:

• Ensure that the server is powered on.
• Ensure that all link lights for active network interfaces are on.
  • If any link lights are off, check for failed cables by swapping them out for known good cables as needed.
• Hook up a crash cart and check for errors on the screen, troubleshoot as needed.
• Contact your hardware vender if hardware issues are found or suspected.
  • If your vendor requires a TSR log, see IDRAC access and TSR logs for an example of how to retrieve one from a Dell server.
  • Updating the firmware might also resolve the issue.
• Consider updating the firmware if it has been a long time, and/or if you have recently had other nodes that needed firmware upgrades to become healthy again.
• If no known error is found, please redeploy the node with a fresh IC-OS image.
  • The deployment process identifies/fixes many software issues.
  • Note that if an old IC-OS image is used, the node will "appear" to be healthy at first, but it will not be able to catch up to the blockchain and will therefore fall behind and become unhealthy again. Thus, a current IC-OS image must be used.
  • At the end, obtain the new principal ID for the node from the crash cart screen.
  • Then search for the node's principal on the IC dashboard to verify that the node is healthy.

Use the dashboard to verify that the node is healthy

• The node count for your data center should match the number of nodes in that data center.
• Look for the principal ID for the node which you are servicing and make sure that it is "Awaiting Subnet" status
• If the node isn't listed at all, then it needs to be redeployed the node with a fresh IC-OS image.

If a node is healthy ("Awaiting Subnet" status) for a while and then changes to "Offline," then whatever the issue was originally still exists. Troubleshoot hardware, upgrade firmware, etc to resolve the issue.

Orchestrator Started message on screen

This message is not an error, nor is it confirmation that the node is running properly.

• Check the dashboard to see if that particular node is "Awaiting Subnet" or "Active in Subnet." Use the principal ID that was assigned to the node when it was onboarded to identify it.
• If the node is not visible on the dashboard, then it has not registered with the Internet Computer.
  • If you have recently installed a current IC-OS image, then you can try inserting the HSM and/or a reboot to see if it joins. This would work if a recent IC-OS installation was successful and only the registration and joining was interrupted.
  • If you have not recently installed a current IC-OS image, then do not insert the HSM. You do not want the node to rejoin with an old IC-OS image, as it will only fail again. Instead, you should consider upgrading the firmware if it is running on old versions, and then redeploy the node with a fresh/current IC-OS image (which will assign a new principal to the node so that you can identify it in the dashboard.)

All Node Provider Troubleshooting links