Attestation, proposal and rewards FAQ.

Author: chrismarino

docs/network_versioned_docs/version-v2.1.9-ignition/operation/attestations_rewards_faq.md

@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+# Sequencer Attestations & Rewards — FAQ
+
+> This FAQ documents common questions, subtle behaviors, and frequent points of confusion when monitoring sequencer performance, attestations, epochs, and rewards.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Why does my attestation count change from epoch to epoch?
+
+**Short answer:** Because the number of attestation *assignments* is not constant.
+
+You may observe patterns like:
+
+```
+31, 31, 31, 30, 26
+```
+
+with **zero failures**.
+
+This does **not** indicate missed work or degraded performance. It means that across those epochs, your sequencer was assigned a different number of attestation duties.
+
+### Why this happens
+- Committee assignments are reshuffled every epoch using randomness
+- Epochs may contain different numbers of attestation slots
+- The active sequencer set can change slightly over time
+- Dashboard windows may include partial epochs (e.g., at startup or boundaries)
+
+The effective rule is:
+
+> **Your maximum attestations in an epoch = the number of duties assigned to you in that epoch**
+
+---
+
+## 2. What is the maximum number of attestations a sequencer can have?
+
+There is **no global fixed maximum**.
+
+The apparent “max” (often ~30–32) is an artifact of:
+- Current committee sizing
+- Active sequencer count
+- Epoch structure
+
+Seeing a stable number like `31` repeatedly is a sign of *network stability*, not a protocol guarantee.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Is a lower attestation count a performance issue?
+
+**No — not by itself.**
+
+Performance is measured by **success vs. assigned duties**, not by raw counts.
+
+### Healthy sequencer
+- Assigned: 26
+- Successful: 26
+- Missed: 0
+- Attestation Rate: 100%
+
+### Unhealthy sequencer
+- Assigned: 31
+- Successful: 27
+- Missed: 4
+- Attestation Rate: <100%
+
+If your attestation rate is 100%, the sequencer is performing perfectly regardless of the raw number.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Why did my sequencer receive no rewards despite many successful attestations?
+
+Because **attestations are not directly rewarded** in Aztec.
+
+In Aztec's design:
+- **Block proposals** → reward-triggering events (block rewards + transaction fees)
+- **Attestations** → liveness and correctness requirements (unpaid participation)
+
+Attestations:
+- Keep your sequencer active
+- Prevent penalties or slashing
+- Maintain eligibility for future proposer rewards
+
+But they do **not** mint rewards on their own.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Can a sequencer participate in an epoch without proposing any blocks?
+
+**Yes — this is extremely common.**
+
+Block proposer selection is:
+- Sparse
+- Randomized
+- Stake-weighted
+
+Over short windows (e.g., 10 epochs), it is normal for a sequencer to:
+- Perform dozens of attestations
+- Receive zero proposer slots
+- Earn zero rewards
+
+This does **not** indicate a problem.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Can a sequencer make successful attestations if it is not included in an epoch?
+
+It depends on what *“included”* means.
+
+### Included in an epoch means:
+- Bonded / staked
+- Active (not exiting, not slashed)
+- Part of the sequencer set for that epoch
+
+If included:
+- The sequencer **will** receive attestation duties
+- The sequencer **may or may not** receive proposer duties
+
+### What cannot happen
+A sequencer that is *truly excluded* from the active set:
+- Receives no duties
+- Produces no valid attestations
+- Shows zero participation
+
+So if you see successful attestations, the sequencer **was included**.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Why does the dashboard sometimes show `0 / 0` block proposals?
+
+This means:
+- The sequencer was **not selected** for any proposer slots
+- Not that it failed to propose
+
+`0 / 0` is a neutral state, not a failure.
+
+---
+
+## 8. How should I interpret bar charts showing attestations and blocks?
+
+Each epoch column typically includes:
+- 🟢 Attestation Success — completed attestation duties
+- 🔴 Attestation Missed — assigned but not completed
+- 🔵 Blocks Success — successful block proposals
+- 🟠 Blocks Missed — failed proposer opportunities
+
+Large green bars with tiny or zero blue bars are **normal**.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Example Dashboard Screenshot (Illustrative)
+
+
+### Dashboard Screenshot
+
+```
+┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│ Sequencer X7C…91A2      Status: Validating    │
+│ Epoch Window: 1901–1905                       │
+│                                               │
+│ Last 5 Epochs Participated                    │
+│                                               │
+│ Epoch 1901  ████████████████████  Att: 32     │
+│ Epoch 1902  ████████████████████  Att: 32     │
+│ Epoch 1903  ████████████████████  Att: 31     │
+│ Epoch 1904  ███████████████████   Att: 30     │
+│ Epoch 1905  ████████████████      Att: 27     │
+│                                               │
+│ Attestation Rate: 100%   (152 / 152)          │
+│ Block Proposals:         0 / 0                │
+│ Rewards:                 0                    │
+└───────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+**Interpretation:**
+> Fully healthy sequencer, included in all epochs, completed all assigned attestations, but not selected as a block proposer during this window.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Key takeaways
+
+- Attestation counts vary naturally
+- Attestation success matters more than volume
+- Attestations are usually unpaid
+- Proposer selection is rare and stochastic
+- `0 / 0` proposals is normal
+- No rewards ≠ bad performance
+
+---
+
+## Suggested UI Clarifications (Optional)
+
+To reduce confusion, dashboards may benefit from:
+- Labeling attestations as **“Non-rewarded participation”**
+- Tooltips explaining `0 / 0` proposer rates
+- Separating *assignment counts* from *performance metrics*
+
+---
+

docs/network_versioned_sidebars/version-v2.1.9-ignition-sidebars.json

@@ -161,6 +161,11 @@
       "type": "doc",
       "id": "operation/operator_faq"
     },
+    {
+      "type": "doc",
+      "id": "operation/attestations_rewards_faq",
+      "label": "Attestations & Rewards FAQ"
+    },
     {
       "type": "html",
       "value": "<span class=\"sidebar-divider\" />"