Test Net Requirements

[mvandeberg]

Below are the main features of the test net. Other issues should be derived as a requirement from one of these.

• Snapshot Tool: Queries the main net for account and witness to export to the test net. (Snapshot Tool #16)

• Genesis Conversion Tool: The conversion tool will take the output from the snapshot tool and create accounts on the test net that match the snapshot. (Genesis Conversion Tool #17)

• Tx Oracle Tool: The oracle will monitor the main net and convert certain main net transactions to the test net to simulate traffic on the test net. (Tx Oracle Tool #18)

• Kill Switch: The test net should automatically die after a certain block height. (Testnet should die a certain time / height after genesis steem#1732)

• Master/Slave Nodes: The testnet should be launched as either a master or a slave. The master runs the genesis tools and the Tx Oracle. Slaves connect to a seed node like a node normally would on the main net. Both configurations needs to be deployable and automated through Docker. (Testnet Master Node #19)(Tesnet Slave Node #20)

• Test Net Triggered Hardfork: When testing a new hardfork, the test net should launch on the previous hardfork and trigger the hardfork while the test net is running so that we can test the moment of the fork. (Test Net Triggered Hardfork #21)

[mvandeberg]

One idea that I had early on was specifying different time constants on the test net so that more code paths are executed during the run of the test net. These are constants such as payout time, vesting withdraw time, savings withdrawals, etc. Is this something that we should do? Is it part of an initial deliverable for the test net, or can it wait for later?

[youkaicountry]

@mvandeberg Testing out different constants sounds like a very good idea and I think it is something we should pursue, but in the interest of having the initial deliverable finished quickly I think it should come afterward.

We should definitely make a rough outline for it and keep it in mind as development on the initial version occurs.