# Migrate validator

## Migrate your validator to another machine

#### 1. install the testnet on your new server

#### 2. Confirm that you have the recovery seed phrase information for the active key running on the old machine

**backup your key**

```
lavad keys export mykey
```

> *This prints the private key that you can then paste into the file `mykey.backup`*

**get list of keys**

```
lavad keys list
```

#### 3. Recover the active key of the old machine on the new machine

**This can be done with the mnemonics**

```
lavad keys add mykey --recover
```

**Or with the backup file `mykey.backup` from the previous step**

```
lavad keys import mykey mykey.backup
```

#### 4. Wait for the new full node on the new machine to finish catching-up

**To check synchronization status**

```
lavad status 2>&1 | jq .SyncInfo
```

> *`catching_up` should be equal to `false`*

#### 5. After the new node has caught-up, stop the validator node

> *To prevent double signing, you should stop the validator node before stopping the new full node to ensure the new node is at a greater block height than the validator node* *If the new node is behind the old validator node, then you may double-sign blocks*

**Stop and disable service on old machine**

```
sudo systemctl stop lavad
sudo systemctl disable lavad
```

> *The validator should start missing blocks at this point*

#### 6. Stop service on new machine

```
sudo systemctl stop lavad
```

#### 7. Move the validator's private key from the old machine to the new machine

**Private key is located in: `~/.lavad/config/priv_validator_key.json`**

> *After being copied, the key `priv_validator_key.json` should then be removed from the old node's config directory to prevent double-signing if the node were to start back up*

```
sudo mv ~/.lavad/config/priv_validator_key.json ~/.lavad/bak_priv_validator_key.json
```

#### 8. Start service on a new validator node

```
sudo systemctl start lavad
```

> *The new node should start signing blocks once caught-up*

#### 9. Make sure your validator is not jailed

**To unjail your validator**

```
lavad tx slashing unjail --chain-id $LAVA_CHAIN_ID --from mykey --gas=auto -y
```