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Deploy L2

A Layer 2 network builds on top of Layer 1 to increase scalability and reduce transaction costs, while still inheriting L1’s security. For Surge, the L2 network is where user transactions are executed and blocks are proposed and proven.

This guide provides clear instructions for deploying Surge’s L2 components using the Simple Surge Node, enabling you to run and test the core rollup logic.

To see how L2 fits into the overall system, refer to the Surge Architecture documentation.

Setup Process​

Follow these steps to set up and deploy your L2 network:

1. Clone Repository​

Clone the Simple Surge Node repository and navigate into the directory:

git clone https://github.com/NethermindEth/simple-surge-node.git
cd simple-surge-node

2. Configure Environment​

Create your environment configuration file (.env) by copying the provided sample:

cp .env.devnet .env
Environment Configuration

The .env.devnet file includes default values for the devnet configuration, based on previously generated data. You can customize these values, such as L1 and L2 settings, genesis hashes, and addresses, as needed.

note

host.docker.internal values in the .env file might not work in all environments. If you encounter issues, replace host.docker.internal with your server's IP address or hostname.

4. Start Components​

L2 consists of the following components, feel free to launch the ones specific to your needs.

tip

You can run multiple profiles at once:

docker compose --profile <profile1> --profile <profile2> up -d

Driver​

tip

If you just want to follow the L2 chain, launching just the driver is sufficient.

Starts the Nethermind Execution Client for L2 network operation:

docker compose --profile nethermind_execution_l2 up -d

Proposer​

Initiates the Proposer service for transaction bundling and block proposals:

docker compose --profile proposer up -d

Prover Relayer​

note

If you did not deploy a prover in the previous setup steps, you can safely skip launching the prover relayer.

Launches the Prover Relayer for proof relay:

docker compose --profile prover up -d

Metrics​

Sets up Prometheus and Grafana for real-time monitoring:

docker compose --profile metrics up -d

BlockScout​

Launches BlockScout that provides a web-based interface to:

  • Explore blocks, transactions, and accounts
  • Verify smart contracts
  • Monitor network activity
  • Track token transfers and balances
docker compose --profile blockscout up -d

Verification​

After deploying all components, ensure everything is running correctly by:

  • Checking the status of Docker containers using docker compose ps.
  • Monitoring logs for startup errors with docker compose --profile <profile_name> logs -f --tail 100.
  • Verifying network connectivity between components.
  • Accessing BlockScout for L1 and L2 chain exploration and verification:

Complete verification of the Surge devnet occurs after deploying additional services in subsequent steps.

note

Depending on your deployment setup, you might need to replace localhost with your server's IP address, hostname, or appropriate domain.

Troubleshooting​

If issues arise during deployment:

  • Confirm environment variables in .env are correctly configured.
  • Review Docker logs for detailed error information.
  • Ensure required ports are open and accessible.
  • Check network connectivity between the deployed components.