> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ethereals-blockchain.gitbook.io/ethereal-chain-documentation/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ethereals-blockchain.gitbook.io/ethereal-chain-documentation/validating/monitoring-a-validator.md).

# Monitoring a Validator

## Monitoring a Validator

### Check Gossip

Confirm the IP address and **identity pubkey** of your validator is visible in the gossip network by running:

Ethereal-gossip spy --entrypoint bootstrap.Ethereal.com:8001

### Check Your Balance

Your account balance should decrease by the transaction fee amount as your validator submits votes, and increase after serving as the leader. Pass the `--lamports` are to observe in finer detail:

Etherealbalance --lamports

### Check Vote Activity

The Ethereal`vote-account` command displays the recent voting activity from your validator:

Etherealvote-account \~/vote-account-keypair.json

### Get Cluster Info

There are several useful JSON-RPC endpoints for monitoring your validator on the cluster, as well as the health of the cluster:

*# Similar to* Ethereal*-gossip, you should see your validator in the list of cluster nodes*

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1, "method":"getClusterNodes"}' <https://explorer.testnet.Ethereal.com/rpc>

*# If your validator is properly voting, it should appear in the list of \`current\` vote accounts. If staked, \`stake\` should be > 0*

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1, "method":"getVoteAccounts"}' <https://explorer.testnet.Ethereal.com/rpc>

*# Returns the current leader schedule*

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1, "method":"getLeaderSchedule"}' <https://explorer.testnet.Ethereal.com/rpc>

*# Returns info about the current epoch. slotIndex should progress on subsequent calls.*

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1, "method":"getEpochInfo"}' <https://explorer.testnet.Ethereal.com/rpc>


---

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