> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.bluzelle.com/developers/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.bluzelle.com/developers/staking/validator/technical-requirements.md).

# Technical Requirements

## **Setup and Hardware**

Validators can choose to run their systems in the cloud or in a dedicated data center. It needs to be pointed out that if running your validators in the cloud you are risking exposure of your private keys. 

There is a spectrum of different choices that can be made in the name of security. The most secure is a complex arrangement where the validator sits in a data center with some sort of KMS hardware key management system and has one or more sentries sitting in the cloud, with an elaborate setup of private VPN’s and firewalls.

### **Validator and Sentry Node Requirements**

Bluzelle requires validators to have both a validator node and sentry node. 

| Validator Node                                                                                                             | Sentry Node                                                                                                                        |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| <ul><li>I3EN Large</li><li>16 GB RAM</li><li>2 vCPU’s</li><li>25 Gigabit Network Connection</li><li>1 TB Storage</li></ul> | <ul><li>M5AD Extra Large</li><li>16 GB RAM</li><li>4 vCPU’s</li><li>10 Gigabit Network Connection</li><li>125 GB Storage</li></ul> |