Prepare your apps for Agave v2.0 upgrade

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The Agave 2.0 validator client brings significant updates including breaking changes, API endpoint removals and Rust crate renamings. The release marks a pivotal moment as Solana evolves into a multi-client ecosystem, with significant contributions from Jito Labs, Jump’s Firedancer, and other key players.

In this article, we will outline the essential steps developers should take to prepare for the upcoming transition.

Removal of Legacy RPC Endpoints

The upgrade removes several outdated and deprecated Remote Procedure Call (RPC) endpoints, such as the most commonly used calls: getRecentBlockhash, getFees and getConfirmedTransaction.

These have been replaced with more efficient alternatives to ensure faster response times and reduce unnecessary network traffic. We encourages all developers to begin using the new APIs as soon as possible to avoid disruptions.

Crate Renaming

Along with the API changes, there are significant updates in Solana's Software Development Kit (SDK). Notably, Borsh v0.9 has been removed, and existing crates have been renamed to better align with Solana's new multi-client approach. Developers need to update their applications to use the latest SDK versions, ensuring compatibility with Agave 2.0.

Deprecation and Removal of Validator Arguments

Certain validator arguments, such as --incremental-snapshots, are already deprecated and will be removed in v2.0. Validator operators should update their configurations accordingly.

For a detailed transition guide written by the Anza team, visit the repo's wiki section here. A full changelog is also available here.