I would like to discuss some of the settings in the config.properties (Path-To-Applications/nem/nis/config.properties).
The first thing I am wondering about are lines 30-32:# NIS configuration<br />#nis.bootKey = #0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef<br />#nis.bootName = foobar
I know that it is possible to make NIS boot automatically after startup if you uncomment these. But what influence has the boodKey (which is a private key?)? Of course nobody wants to save his/her private key unencrypted in a config file like config.properties. So what is the technical background of this?
I would like to discuss some of the settings in the config.properties (Path-To-Applications/nem/nis/config.properties).
The first thing I am wondering about are lines 30-32:
[code]# NIS configuration
#nis.bootKey = #0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef
#nis.bootName = foobar[/code]
I know that it is possible to make NIS boot automatically after startup if you uncomment these. But what influence has the boodKey (which is a private key?)? Of course nobody wants to save his/her private key unencrypted in a config file like config.properties. So what is the technical background of this?
Yes the bootKey is a private-key. It simply determines which account will be used to boot NIS. It's just like you'd boot with NCC but the private-key isn't taken from the wallet but from the config-file.
Obv. you shouldn't use an account for this that holds a lot of XEM. Just use any account and remote-harvest on that server.
If you wonder why NIS needs to be tied to a specific account...that you'll have to ask the devs. I'm sure they had their reasons to design it that way.
The idea was that if you run a vps you can activate remote harvesting for an account with high importance and then use that remote account to
1) harvest on the vps
2) to boot the vps
Since the remote account does not have any nem on it, it is not fatal if the remote account's private key gets disclosed.
On the other hand booting with an account that has good importance (and which is friendly) helps with time synchronization (only nodes that boot with an account that has a certain minimum importance will be picked for time synchronization).
So if you tie a node to an account you are also tying the node to an importance value which can be very helpful in some situations.
I see, thanks for the explanation.
Could you please add a warning to the comment in line 30? You should red-flag that no private keys of accounts with funds should be entered. But it is a good idea to use the private key of a remote account (used for remote harvesting) which has an importance > 0, but no funds.
Edit: If you auto boot a NIS with a private key of an account with high importance, will it start harvesting automatically after booting?
would it be possible to modify the software to boot an account using a harvesting key? that way you can boot a node, and harvest with an account with high importance and the coins cant be stolen… dont know if thats even possible… just curious. 
would it be possible to modify the software to boot an account using a harvesting key? that way you can boot a node, and harvest with an account with high importance and the coins cant be stolen.. dont know if thats even possible.. just curious. :)
I take it you haven't heard of remote harvesting ?
Srsly I have no idea what you mean other than that ;D
would it be possible to modify the software to boot an account using a harvesting key? that way you can boot a node, and harvest with an account with high importance and the coins cant be stolen.. dont know if thats even possible.. just curious. :)
I take it you haven't heard of remote harvesting ?
Srsly I have no idea what you mean other than that ;D
so theres 2f things you can do..
1) boot your nis with a private key stored in conf..
2) activate remote harvesting using harvesting key stored in conf.
if i put the harvesting key into config, with out entering a bootkey, does the node still auto boot?
if i want to be really good to the network and boot the node with my main account and harvest using that account, afaik that means i need to enter the private key for that account in conf. and then activate remote harvesting/enter harv key in conf.. but putting my private key in config is a big no no cos its a security risk.. if the harvesting key ultimately maps back to my main account, can the harvesting key not also be used to boot nis? this way i could boot nis with my main account and use it to harvest..
usecase: say the node rewards are paid out to the account that boots the nis, not the harvesters on the nis, and say that importance score of the account that boots nis is of massive importance to how much you are rewarded.. this now posses a security risk.. because i can either 1) not use my main account to boot and lose out on the rewards i would get.. 2) use my main account and get the full reward due to my high importance but now i risk keeping my private key in the conf files on my server..
if i can use the harvesting key of my main account to boot nis, i can boot with a high importance, high balance account with out putting my account in any risk what so ever.
What we need is a command in the gui which shows the remote harvesting private key to the user so he can use that key in the config.
Yes, kod, you got it right, I think.
so theres 2f things you can do…
1) boot your nis with a private key stored in conf…
2) activate remote harvesting using harvesting key stored in conf.
I don't really get what you mean with 2). Yes, you can theoretically use the private key of the remote harvesting account (which has 0 balance), but as BloodyRookie said: we need a feature in the GUI to easily get the private key of the remote harvesting account. So what is your point?
if i put the harvesting key into config, with out entering a bootkey, does the node still auto boot?
"putting the harvesting key into config" = "putting the private key of the remote harvesting account (0 balance) in the NIS config.properties as a bootKey?"
if i want to be really good to the network and boot the node with my main account and harvest using that account, afaik that means i need to enter the private key for that account in conf. and then activate remote harvesting/enter harv key in conf…
I assume: Main account = high balance and high importance score.
So, if you want to auto boot your NIS with the importance score of the main account, you should NOT put the private key of that main account into the NIS config.properties, because you should never save a private key of an account with high balance unencrypted in a file as you say ("but putting my private key in config is a big no no cos its a security risk…").
Instead you do this:
1) Activate remote harvesting for the main account, wait 1440 blocks until that is done.
2) Put the private key of the remote harvesting account (0 balance) in the NIS config.properties.
ahh ok thanks mix… i just didnt realise you can put a harvesting key in place of a private key to boot nis… so that would boot nis using your main accounts importance but wouldnt put your coins at risk. ok that solves the problem i was thinking of then. 
thanks.