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Version: v3.0.0-nightly.20251005

Reacting to Upgrades

This guide helps sequencer operators understand and respond to protocol upgrades on the Aztec network.

Overview​

Protocol upgrades on Aztec require coordination between sequencers to ensure smooth transitions. This process involves signaling support for upgrades and executing them once consensus is reached.

Signaling for Governance Upgrades​

Sequencers participate in governance by signaling support for proposed upgrades.

How to Signal​

Set the GOVERNANCE_PROPOSER_PAYLOAD environment variable on your sequencer node to the address of the proposed payload contract. This registers your support with the GovernanceProposer contract.

# Example: Set the governance payload in your environment
export GOVERNANCE_PROPOSER_PAYLOAD=<payload_contract_address>

# Restart your sequencer to apply the change
docker compose restart aztec-sequencer
info

The payload is an L1 contract specifying the new rollup contract address for the upgrade. Payloads for voting during alpha-testnet are communicated through official channels including the forum and Discord.

Quorum Requirements​

The signaling phase completes when:

  • N sequencers signal for the same payload
  • Within a round of M L2 blocks

Once quorum is reached, anyone can execute the proposal by calling executeProposal(roundNumber) on the Governance Proposer contract.

Monitoring Upgrades​

Stay informed about upcoming upgrades:

  1. Monitor official channels:

    • Aztec forum for formal proposals
    • Discord for discussions and announcements
    • GitHub for technical details

  2. Check upgrade status:

    • Query the Governance Proposer contract for active proposals
    • Monitor signaling progress toward quorum
    • Track execution status

Post-Upgrade Actions​

After an upgrade executes:

  1. Verify your node updates automatically - The auto-update module should handle this
  2. Monitor logs for any issues during the transition
  3. Confirm your sequencer reconnects to the network successfully
  4. Resume normal operations once synchronized

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Node not updating after upgrade:

  • Verify auto-update is enabled (check AUTO_UPDATE is not set)
  • Ensure Watchtower is running for automatic container updates
  • Manually pull latest image if needed: docker pull aztecprotocol/aztec:latest

Sequencer not reconnecting:

  • Check network configuration matches new requirements
  • Review logs for connection errors
  • Verify L1 endpoints are accessible

Missing governance signals:

  • Confirm GOVERNANCE_PROPOSER_PAYLOAD is set correctly
  • Restart sequencer after setting environment variable
  • Verify transaction was sent to L1

Next Steps​