Aviate Labs: Decentralization Roadmap

Aviate Labs is rolling out its decentralization roadmap to reshape node management on the Internet Computer (IC). This plan unfolds in three phases, each bringing us closer to a more resilient, community-driven infrastructure.

At the heart of this plan are two key tracks:

1. Node Management Suite: Focused on developing a self-service platform to provide a node provider with the essential tools for node management.
2. Remote Management Spec: The Remote Management Spec (RMS) provides guidelines and documentation for Node Providers to set up a dedicated remote management unit (RMU) in their racks. It outlines hardware requirements, setup instructions, and recommended tools to enable secure remote access and management of their nodes. This specification will include security best practices and software recommendations for monitoring and automation, reducing the need for on-site interventions.

Through Phases 1 and 2, these initially separate tracks evolve and ultimately merge into a unified platform in Phase 3. This platform will serve as a hub where Node Providers and Node Operators collaborate seamlessly, with their operations made transparent to the broader community.

Our ultimate goal is to establish Decentralized Infrastructure Management as the standard for supporting nodes on the Internet Computer. By building tools, processes, and a model that prioritizes community participation and operational transparency, we aim to set a new benchmark for decentralized infrastructure ecosystems.

Phase 1: Building the Foundation - Current

Node Management Suite: Lite Tool Suite

The first phase of the Node Management Suite is all about equipping Node Providers with essential tools to monitor and optimize their nodes' performance at a protocol level. At launch, this platform will introduce a suite of three key tools:

• Personalized Trustworthy Node Metrics Dashboard - A dedicated dashboard offering Node Providers a clear, organized view of their node performance at the protocol level. It consolidates critical insights—such as node failure rate and reward data—into a single, easily accessible interface. Instead of sifting through scattered data, Node Providers can now grasp the overall health of their operations at a glance.
• Protocol-Level Alerts - Built on Trustworthy Node Metrics, this feature provides email alerts whenever nodes incur penalties, helping Node Providers stay ahead of potential issues. Additionally, daily status reports will flag any nodes at risk of receiving penalties—empowering providers to take proactive action before rewards are impacted.
• Proposal Editor - A user-friendly tool that eliminates the need for command-line inputs, allowing Node Providers to submit network proposals like "Change Subnet Membership" for maintenance and replacement operations.

Beyond this core toolset, the platform will also introduce a Node Provider Rewards Dashboard, offering transparency similar to the public ICP dashboard. This lets the broader community track metrics like the block production rates of each node.

Remote Management Spec: Gen-1 Remote Management

Phase 1 of the Service Track became a reality with the release of the Remote Management Unit (RMU) Build in January 2025, enabling remote management capabilities for Gen-1 Node Providers. Since its launch, Aviate Labs has assisted in onboarding multiple Node Providers onto this solution, ensuring they can manage their sites efficiently and securely.

Now that much of the initial phase has been focused on adoption and onboarding, the next step is to deepen our exploration of this build. Our focus in this phase includes:

• Identifying Key Enhancements – Assessing the RMU stack to determine what refinements or integrations can improve its security, reliability and efficiency.
• Developing Practical Guides & Tools – Creating documentation, tutorials, and additional tools and automations that help Node Providers get the most out of the RMU build.
• Expanding Functionality – Exploring software and hardware upgrades to streamline remote management.

The goal is to maximize the potential of the RMU build, ensuring that Node Providers have everything they need to operate remotely with confidence.

Phase 2: Expanding Capabilities and Enabling Scalability

Node Management Suite: All-in-One Tool Suite

Building on Phase 1, Phase 2 adds new features that enhance control, visibility, and efficiency. This phase introduces new features that expand the platform’s capabilities while reducing complexity for Node Providers.

• Public Node Metrics - If Trustworthy Node Metrics provide a snapshot of how nodes are performing, Public Node Metrics explain why. These machine-level insights will allow Node Providers to diagnose and troubleshoot issues when they detect performance drops at the protocol level. These metrics enable the creation of new dashboards and alerting mechanisms that will make these insights easier to access and act upon without the complexity of setting up monitoring systems manually.
• Rewards Management - A comprehensive rewards tracking system that enables Node Providers to monitor, manage, and report their earnings with greater precision. Built on accurate rewards data, this feature goes beyond simple tracking—allowing Node Providers to effectively manage their treasury by indicating how much should be allocated to their operational expenses and other finances.

Additionally, the system will provide historical rewards data, enabling NPs to track the value of ICP at the time of receipt. This ensures more precise accounting and financial reporting, making it easier to manage tax obligations and long-term financial planning, all while reducing the manual effort required to track rewards distributions.

In addition to new capabilities, Phase 2 will expand upon the foundation laid in Phase 1 with:

• More Proposal Types – Enabling greater flexibility in how NPs interact with the network.
• Customizable Alerts – Allowing Node Providers to tailor notifications to their specific needs.
• Expanded Alert Channels – Providing flexibility in how and where NPs receive alerts, ensuring timely updates across multiple communication platforms.

By introducing these enhancements, Phase 2 transforms the platform into a truly comprehensive management solution.

Remote Management Spec: Gen-2 Remote Management

Unlike Gen-1, where a standardized RMU setup enabled seamless remote management, Gen-2’s public specification leaves rack management configurations up to individual Node Providers.

While this offers flexibility, it also creates a pain point for new Node Providers who may not be familiar with best practices for setting up their infrastructure in a way that allows for efficient remote management.

Phase 2 in the RMS is about bridging this gap by establishing clear guidelines and solutions that help Node Providers set up their sites in a way that makes remote management possible (if it isn’t already)—minimizing the need for onsite intervention. By defining a baseline standard for remote management capabilities, NPs are able to:

• Implement best practices for configuring their racks to support remote operations.
• Reduce complexity by following a clear framework for troubleshooting, redeployments, and firmware updates—without requiring frequent data center visits.
• Reduce response times to incidents as well as costs associated to relying on remote hands services.

By providing these guidelines and practical solutions, Phase 2 helps new and existing node providers build operations that are easier to manage remotely.

Phase 3: The Decentralized Infrastructure Management Platform

Phase 3 brings everything together—Node Management Suite and Remote Management Spec—into a single, decentralized infrastructure management platform. With a standardized remote management framework in place, Node Providers will be able to manage their nodes directly from the platform, eliminating complexity while maintaining full control over their infrastructure.

Key Capabilities of the Platform:

• Infrastructure Integration – Node Providers can easily onboard their infrastructure, gaining instant access to the relevant consoles and management portals developed through the remote management framework in earlier phases.
• Comprehensive Troubleshooting Resources – The platform will provide detailed documentation for diagnosing and resolving common issues, ensuring that Node Providers can troubleshoot efficiently. Additionally, a dedicated community forum will enable collaboration and peer-to-peer support.
• Automated Redeployments – Critical operations like redeploying nodes will be automated, increasing efficiency while reducing the risk of human error.

By bringing these elements together, Phase 3 transforms node management into a streamlined, efficient, and community-driven experience. The result is a scalable, decentralized infrastructure ecosystem where Node Providers can operate with greater autonomy, reliability, and ease.

Looking Ahead

The Aviate Labs Decentralization Roadmap presents our step toward redefining how infrastructure is managed on the Internet Computer. By bridging the gap between node management tooling and remote management capabilities, this roadmap presents a vision for a scalable, decentralized, and community-driven infrastructure ecosystem.

However, as with any ambitious undertaking, this roadmap is not set in stone. As the ecosystem evolves, so will our approach. This plan lays a strong foundation, but ongoing challenges, new technologies, and community input will shape its future.

Our goal is simple: lower barriers, increase operational efficiency, and give Node Providers on the IC more autonomy. Whether through the Node Management Suite, Remote Management Spec, or the final integration into a unified platform, every phase is a step toward a future where node operations are simpler, more accessible, and truly decentralized.

We invite the community to join us on this journey, provide feedback, and help shape the future of Decentralized Infrastructure Management. Together, we can build an ecosystem that empowers Node Providers, strengthens the IC network, and sets new standards for decentralized operations.