Node version 1.27.0 provides important new functionality, including supporting new CLI commands that have been requested by stake pools, providing garbage collection metrics.
It includes the performance fixes for the epoch boundary calculation that were released in node version 1.26.2, plus a number of bug fixes and code improvements.
It also includes many fundamental changes that are needed to prepare for forthcoming feature releases (notably Plutus scripts in the Alonzo era).
Note that this release includes breaking changes to the API and CLI commands, and that compilation using GHC version 8.6.5 is no longer supported.
API refactoring to move scripts into the txbody (#2547)
There are some breaking changes:
- You must specify auxiliary scripts with --auxiliary-script-file instead of --script-file
- Scripts witnessing txins, certificates, withdrawals and minting must be paired with the thing they are witnessing.
E.g:
--certificate-file $certfile --certificate-script-file $scriptfile
--tx-out $txout --minting-script-file $scriptfile
--withdrawal $withdrawal --withdrawal-script-file $scriptfile
--tx-in $txin --txin-script-file $scriptfile
- Scripts are no longer specified at the tx signing stage. They are specified at the txbody stage.
Node changes
- Add an additional GC heap metric to RTS. (#2592)
- Add details about registering relays on-chain to SPO documentation. (#2591)
- Improved installation documentation. (#2624)
- Preparatory support for Voltaire. (#2498)
- Add a docker image option for downloading cardano-node. (#2632)
Consensus changes
- Some preparation for upcoming work on Voltaire. (#2978)
- Introduce an option to configure the snapshot interval. This will primarily be used by downstream teams for testing and benchmarking. (#2966), (#3092)
- Preparatory work for the implementation of Ouroboros Genesis. (#3002)
- Add a peer label to chain sync client traces, allowing us to view which peer supplied which header and when. (#3091)
- Provide the ledger with the ability to perform slot to time conversion. This will be needed for Plutus scripts in the upcoming Alonzo release. (#3036), (#3098)
Ledger changes
- Work on implementing the upcoming Alonzo era. (#2192), (#2198), (#2200), (#2204), (#2210), (#2211), (#2212), (#2214), (#2215), (#2216), (#2218), (#2220), (#2221), (#2222), (#2225), (#2226), (#2227), (#2229), (#2231), (#2235), (#2237), (#2242), (#2243), (#2251), (#2256), (#2260), (#2264)
- Released the CDDL spec for Alonzo. (#2228)
- Add an optional network ID field to the transaction body. This will only come into use in the Alonzo era. (#2219), (#2254)
- Define a cardano-ledger-core package containing era-independent primitives. (#2207)
- Some work to reduce the extra CPU load at an epoch boundary, and reduce the resulting "pause" in normal operation. (#2240), (#2241), (#2250), (#2262)
- Added formal definitions for much of the crypto used to the Shelley spec. (#2236), (#2252)
- Expose AdaPots for use in downstream projects. (#2208)
- Some preparation for upcoming work on Voltaire. (#2135)(#2135)
Network changes
- Introduce new representation for local root peers. This is in preparation for P2P support. (#3006)
- Add a new KeepAlive codec that produces a valid CBOR encoding. (#3062)
Cardano-cli changes
- The query tip now also returns the era (e.g. Shelley, Allegra, Alonzo). (#2561, #2562, #2598)
- The address build command now incorporates the functionality of the script address build command, which is now deprecated. (#2486, #2587)
- Add additional commands for creating MIR certificates to the CLI. This supports the ability to transfer funds to the treasury for Catalyst projects. (#2503)
- The transaction view command now additionally shows detailed of minted non-native tokens. (#2550)
- Add a new command which computes the minimum ADA value/deposit for a multi-asset value. (#2612)
- Add two new query commands:
- Query stake-snapshot allows querying the three stake snapshots for a given stake pool.
- Query pool-params returns the current and future parameters, as well as the retiring information. (#2560)
- Preparatory support for Alonzo. (#2547)
- Updated the CLI reference documentation. (#2665)
Cardano-api changes
- Add initial support for the ledger state and folding over blocks to the API. (#2633)
Deprecated Features
- Removed the deprecated 'KThxBye' message from the TxSubmission protocol. (#2238)
- Removed support for Byron addresses using the Bech32 encoding. The only supported way to use Byron-era addresses is through a file, using the text envelope format. (#2605)
Fixed Issues
- Fixes to the ShelleyMA formal specification. (#2181)
- Fix a bug in reward update application which could have resulted in the wrong amount of funds being added to the treasury. (#2238)
Documentation
- Cardano Node documentation
- Cardano CLI
- Internal API docs for ledger, consensus and network
- Configuration files
- Compatibility matrix
Platforms
- Linux 64-bit (Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, 20.04 LTS; Mint 19.3, 20; Debian 10.3)
- Windows 64-bit (8.1, 10)
- MacOS 10.13, 10.14, 10.15
- Docker image
- Hydra binaries
Supported roles
| Platform | Block Production | Relay | Client (Desktop) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Windows | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| MacOS | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
Minimum System Requirements
- An Intel or AMD x86 processor with two or more cores, at 1.6GHz or faster (2GHz or faster for a stake pool or relay)
- 8GB of RAM
- 10GB of free storage (20GB for a stake pool)
Sign off
| Role | Approval |
|---|---|
| Technical Lead | ✔️ |
| QA Engineer | ✔️ |
| Ops | ✔️ |
| Release Manager | ✔️ |