Announcing Octez v21.0~rc1 and v21.0~rc2

Research and Development
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Two release candidates for Octez v21.0 are available: octez-v21.0~rc1 and octez-v21.0~rc2. They differ only in their version of the Quebec protocol proposal: Quebec A and Quebec B.

  • Octez-v21.0~rc1 contains the code for the Quebec A and its associated executables.

  • Octez-v21.0~rc2 contains the code for the Quebec B and its associated executables.

Both release candidates contain a new version of the protocol environment (v13), which is the set of functions that protocols can call. As a result, version 21 is the first version compatible with Quebec A and B.

We invite you to test this release candidate on Parisnet, Ghostnet or the upcoming test networks for the Quebec protocol proposal variants, and to report any issue on Issues · Tezos / tezos · GitLab so that they can be addressed in time for the release of 21.0.

Note that starting from v21, Octez releases will not distribute the octez-evm-node. You can refer to the Etherlink documentation for information on how to get its latest version.

If these candidates prove to be stable, the one containing a proposal chosen after the end of the proposal period, if any, will be released as Octez v21.0.

New storage version

Octez v21.0 candidates introduce a new storage version, which allows for scaling up to match the increased cycle length and thus paving the way to reducing minimal block time further – Quebec A/B propose to reduce minimal block time to 8 seconds.

In order to run Octez v21.0~rc1/rc2 nodes with a pre-existing data directory created with an earlier storage version, operators need to invoke the following Octez node command to migrate the storage to the new version:

octez-node upgrade storage

:warning: Please note that this operation cannot be reverted and earlier versions of Octez are not compatible with the new storage version.

Upgrading the storage to the new version should only take up to 10 seconds in nodes operating in a rolling history mode. However, it may require around 10 minutes for nodes operating on Full and Archive modes, depending on the performance of the machine. Operators must be aware of the downtime during the upgrade that may impact their services.

Increased stability of the Octez DAL node

Octez v21.0 release candidates increase the stability of the DAL node. In particular, the changes include:

  • faster loading of cryptographic material (the so-called SRS);
  • reduced memory and disk footprints;
  • an improved RPC interface; and,
  • increased resilience against disconnection from the Octez node.

Also, after restarting, the Octez v21.0~rc1/rc2 DAL node now cleans-up its data-dir, and automatically catches up with the Octez node.

Finally, the DAL node profiles we updated to match the requirements from Smart Rollups – see this entry in the Octez docs for further detail.

Quality of life improvements and bug fixes for the Smart Rollup node

Octez v21.0~rc1/rc2 brings forth many quality of life improvements to the Smart Rollup node, driven by the deployment of Etherlink Mainnet beta in May. These include:

  • The rollup node’s garbage collector (the mechanism enabling it to only keep most recent rollup states) is now leaner and more reliable.

  • New exposed metrics which can be used to monitor the rollup state (notably about its commitments) and the node’s health.

  • Opt-in automated execution of outbox messages automatically. This allows for an improved UX for decentralized applications relying on the outbox of a Smart Rollup, like the Etherlink native bridge.

Please see the Changelog for further information and other optimizations.

Better logging UX

Octez v21.0~rc1/rc2 introduces several UX improvements to logging infrastructure including:

  • Clearer reporting of outdated nonces in baker logs

  • Listing the set of delegates used by a baker at startup

  • Coloured logs for most Octez binaries (including the node, baker and accuser)

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Changelog

:open_book: A full changelog and update instructions are available in the version 21 release page.

:placard: The Git tag for these release candidates are octez-v21.0-rc1 and octez-v21.0~rc2.

The corresponding commit hashes are respectively 0b88766c37fecacdd136fcff6fd39622937437f3 and 5e8e351bad123935475a9e29bc84e61832550a5a.

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