Question 1

How do I set up Substrate API Sidecar for a custom Substrate chain?

Accepted Answer

Configure the SAS_SUBSTRATE_URL to your node's WebSocket endpoint and provide custom type definitions using environment variables like SAS_SUBSTRATE_TYPES, referencing a JSON file with your chain's types. Detailed steps are in the chain integration guide.

Question 2

What's better for my project: Substrate API Sidecar or direct polkadot-js API?

Accepted Answer

Use Sidecar if you prefer a RESTful HTTP interface for simpler integration into web apps; choose direct polkadot-js API for more flexibility with WebSocket connections and low-level control, but expect to handle type decoding manually.

Question 3

How can I enable metrics and logging in Sidecar for production monitoring?

Accepted Answer

Set SAS_METRICS_ENABLED to true and configure Prometheus and Loki servers with the respective host and port variables. Metrics are then accessible at endpoints like /metrics, as explained in the metrics server section.

Question 4

Does Sidecar work with parachains other than Polkadot and Kusama?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it supports any Substrate-based parachain with proper configuration, but you may need to provide custom type definitions via environment variables if the chain uses non-standard types, as per the custom substrate types section.

Question 5

How to handle the Asset Hub migration and elastic scaling changes in Sidecar?

Accepted Answer

Refer to the migration guide in guides/ASSET_HUB_MIGRATION.md, which details adjustments like endpoints returning arrays with useRcBlock=true. Update your code to handle these new response formats to maintain compatibility.

Question 6

What are the hardware requirements for running Sidecar alongside a node?

Accepted Answer

Sidecar itself uses up to 1.1GB RSS memory based on benchmarks, but running it with a node (e.g., validator or archive node) requires additional resources, as noted in the hardware requirements section, such as 4GB memory for combined setups.

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