Setting Up Neuron Following for Subnet Upgrades

This guide describes how to set up neuron following for automated subnet upgrades on the Internet Computer. This enables a secure approval process for subnet upgrade proposals where multiple parties need to be involved.

Overview

The neuron following setup ensures that automated subnet upgrade proposals require approval from both: 1. The automation system (primary proposer) 2. At least one authorized release team member

This provides a secure two-party approval system for subnet upgrades.

Technical Details

• Topic ID: 12 (IC-OS Version Deployment)
• Topic Reference: Defined in the IC governance protobuf as TOPIC_IC_OS_VERSION_DEPLOYMENT

Setting Up Neuron Following

To set up neuron following, you'll need: - Access to dfx CLI - Your neuron ID - The ID of the neuron you want to follow - HSM identity configured

Command to Set Up Following

cd <path>/ic/rs/nns
# Export required variables
export NEURON_ID=<Your neuron ID>
export NEURON_TO_FOLLOW=<Neuron ID to follow>
export DFX_HSM_PIN="$(cat ~/.hsm-pin)"

# Set up following for your neuron
dfx --identity hsm canister --network mainnet call governance manage_neuron \
  "(record{ id = opt record{ id = ${NEURON_ID} : nat64 }; command = opt variant{Follow = record{ topic = 12 : int32; followees = vec{ record{ id = ${NEURON_TO_FOLLOW} : nat64 } } }}})"

Verify Following Setup

You can verify your neuron following configuration with:

dfx --identity hsm canister --network mainnet call governance get_full_neuron "(${NEURON_ID}:nat64)"

The output will include a followees section showing all topics and neurons being followed.

Notes

• Only configure following for Topic 12 (subnet replica version management)
• Ensure you're following the correct neuron based on your role
• Following relationships should be configured according to your organization's security policies