Operator updates: Getting ready for the Session Network

Oxen Service Node operators are gearing up for significant upgrades as the project transitions to the Session Network. With two recent Mandatory Service Node Upgrades (MSNUs), there will be more on the horizon, and upgrades will be taking place more frequently going forward.

Recap on recent upgrades

Two critical updates were recently rolled out to resolve some reliability issues which arose in Session.

The first of the releases (10.5.0) provided important fixes which put an end to crashes in the Oxen storage server, increasing the reliability of closed groups and 1-1 chats. This update saw an impressive 75% of service nodes upgrading within 4 days of the release. To all the vigilant and dedicated operators who quickly jumped into action, thank you! 👏

You are what makes Session successful. The support of the network’s operators quickly restored service for Session one-one-one chats.

The second release (10.6.0) brings important fixes for connections between Service Nodes and Communities, the Session file server, and having just been released—the network is still in the process of upgrading. 

You can read more about those updates here and here. 

Heads-up on upcoming upgrades

The migration is a time of change and evolution. To facilitate this process, upgrades will be taking place more frequently to aid migration efforts. There will be at least two more MSNUs—each of them essential to the network transition.

The first, culminating in the Anchor hardfork, will be released shortly before the migration, preventing new Oxen-staked node registration on the Oxen Service Node Network from this hardfork and introducing logic for the generation of BLS keys (required for the migration).

The second, culminating in the Landing hardfork, will execute the migration itself, after which the Network will be fully managed via transactions on the Arbitrum network.

You can read more about these phases in the Session Token Launch Plan.

It is possible some other upgrades may be required, too. The team will be sure to keep the community updated on this front.

Staying in the loop

Information and updates about Oxen Service Node updates can always be found in the following places:

• Oxen Service Nodes channel on Telegram

• Oxen Announcements channel on Telegram

• Oxen on Twitter

• Right here on the Oxen Blog

Up until the migration, the channels provided above will each post information about updates. As we get closer to the migration and post-migration, information may also be available on some other Session Token channels.

Join the conversation and stay informed by following the Oxen and Session Token channels. If you need help, the team is available in the Session Token Discord.