NATS is a lightweight, high-performance, open-source messaging system for distributed systems. Deploying it on Akash provides cost-effective, decentralized hosting for your messaging infrastructure.
Prerequisites
- Akash Account: Ensure you have an Akash wallet and some AKT tokens for deployment.
- Akash CLI: Installed and configured. Refer to Akash CLI setup.
- Dockerized NATS Image: We’ll use the official NATS Docker image (
nats:latest
). - Domain/Access: Optional but recommended to configure DNS for accessing your NATS instance.
Step 1: Write the SDL File
Create an SDL file (e.g., deploy.yaml
) that defines your NATS deployment:
---version: "2.0"
services: nats: image: nats:latest env: - "NATS_SERVER_NAME=nats-server" expose: - port: 4222 as: 4222 to: - global - port: 6222 as: 6222 to: - global - port: 8222 as: 8222 to: - global
profiles: compute: nats: resources: cpu: units: 0.5 memory: size: 512Mi storage: size: 1Gi
placement: akash: attributes: host: akash signedBy: anyOf: - akash pricing: nats: denom: uakt amount: 1000
deployment: nats: akash: profile: nats count: 1
Explanation:
- Services: Defines the NATS container using the official Docker image.
- Exposed Ports:
4222
: Client connections.6222
: Cluster connections (if scaling).8222
: Monitoring.
- Profiles:
compute
: Allocates resources (CPU, memory, storage) for the NATS server.placement
: Specifies deployment attributes and pricing.
Step 2: Deploy the SDL
1. Create a Deployment
Run the following command to create a deployment on Akash:
akash tx deployment create deploy.yaml --from <your_wallet> --chain-id <chain_id> --node <rpc_node> --fees 5000uakt -y
Replace:
<your_wallet>
: Your Akash wallet name.<chain_id>
: Akash chain ID (e.g.,akashnet-2
).<rpc_node>
: The Akash RPC node (e.g.,https://rpc.akash.network:443
).
2. Wait for Deployment Approval
Use this command to check the status of your deployment:
akash query deployment list --owner <your_address>
Once approved, you’ll get the lease_id
.
Step 3: Validate the Lease
After the provider accepts the deployment, create a lease using:
akash tx market lease create --dseq <deployment_sequence> --from <your_wallet> --chain-id <chain_id> --node <rpc_node> --fees 5000uakt -y
Step 4: Access the NATS Server
1. Find the Provider Endpoint
Run the following command to retrieve the endpoint of your deployment:
akash query market lease get --owner <your_address> --dseq <deployment_sequence> --gseq 1 --oseq 1 --provider <provider_address>
2. Connect to NATS
Use the returned endpoint to connect your clients to the NATS server using the appropriate port (e.g., 4222
).
For example:
nats-server -connect <provider_endpoint>:4222
Optional: Configure DNS
If you want a user-friendly domain name, map the provider’s IP to your domain using a DNS record. This step enhances usability for production deployments.
Step 5: Monitor the NATS Server
The NATS monitoring dashboard is exposed on port 8222
. Access it by navigating to:
http://<provider_endpoint>:8222
Step 6: Manage Your Deployment
To Update Deployment:
Modify the SDL file and use:
akash tx deployment update deploy.yaml --from <your_wallet> --chain-id <chain_id> --node <rpc_node> --fees 5000uakt -y
To Close Deployment:
Terminate the deployment when it’s no longer needed:
akash tx deployment close --dseq <deployment_sequence> --from <your_wallet> --chain-id <chain_id> --node <rpc_node> --fees 5000uakt -y
Conclusion
This guide walks you through deploying NATS on Akash Network, ensuring cost-efficiency, scalability, and decentralization for your messaging infrastructure. Adjust the SDL file as needed for your use case, such as scaling resources or configuring security.