system_name | Kusama RPC Docs

Get the node implementation name on Kusama. Identify the client software powering your node for diagnostics, compatibility checks, and infrastructure management.

Returns the node implementation name on Kusama. This identifies the client software running the node (e.g., "Parity Polkadot", "Substrate Node", "Astar Collator").

Why Kusama? Build on Polkadot's canary network for real-world testing with live economic conditions with 7-day governance cycles (vs 1 month on Polkadot), lower bonding requirements, live KSM token economy, and first-to-market feature testing.

When to Use This Method

system_name is essential for experimental dApp developers, parachain teams, and early adopters validating new features:

Client Identification -- Determine which Substrate client implementation your node is running (useful when multiple implementations exist)
Infrastructure Monitoring -- Track client types across your validator or collator fleet on Kusama
Bug Reports and Diagnostics -- Include client implementation details when reporting issues for parachain experimentation, early feature deployment, and production-grade testing with real value
Compatibility Checks -- Verify that the node implementation supports features required by your application

Code Examples

Common Use Cases

1. Full Node Identity Report

Gather complete node identity details in a single call:

JavaScript

import { ApiPromise, WsProvider } from '@polkadot/api';

async function getNodeIdentity(endpoint) {
  const provider = new WsProvider(endpoint);
  const api = await ApiPromise.create({ provider });

  const [name, version, chain] = await Promise.all([
    api.rpc.system.name(),
    api.rpc.system.version(),
    api.rpc.system.chain()
  ]);

  const identity = {
    implementation: name.toString(),
    version: version.toString(),
    chain: chain.toString(),
    endpoint
  };

  await api.disconnect();
  return identity;
}

// Example output:
// { implementation: "Parity Polkadot", version: "0.9.43-ba6af17", chain: "Polkadot", endpoint: "..." }

2. Infrastructure Audit Across Nodes

Audit client implementations across a fleet of Kusama nodes:

JavaScript

async function auditFleetClients(endpoints) {
  const results = await Promise.all(
    endpoints.map(async (endpoint) => {
      try {
        const provider = new WsProvider(endpoint);
        const api = await ApiPromise.create({ provider });
        const name = await api.rpc.system.name();
        const version = await api.rpc.system.version();
        await api.disconnect();
        return { endpoint, client: name.toString(), version: version.toString(), status: 'ok' };
      } catch (error) {
        return { endpoint, client: null, version: null, status: 'unreachable' };
      }
    })
  );

  // Group by client implementation
  const byClient = {};
  for (const node of results) {
    if (node.client) {
      byClient[node.client] = byClient[node.client] || [];
      byClient[node.client].push(node);
    }
  }

  console.log('Client distribution:', Object.keys(byClient).map(
    (k) => `${k}: ${byClient[k].length} nodes`
  ));

  return results;
}

3. Connection Health Check with Client Info

Include client implementation in health-check responses:

JavaScript

async function healthCheckWithClientInfo(api) {
  try {
    const name = await api.rpc.system.name();
    const version = await api.rpc.system.version();
    const chain = await api.rpc.system.chain();

    return {
      healthy: true,
      client: `${name.toString()} v${version.toString()}`,
      chain: chain.toString(),
      checkedAt: new Date().toISOString()
    };
  } catch (error) {
    return {
      healthy: false,
      error: error.message,
      checkedAt: new Date().toISOString()
    };
  }
}

Error Handling

Common errors and solutions:

Error Code	Description	Solution
-32603	Internal error	Node may be starting up -- retry after delay
-32005	Rate limit exceeded	Reduce request frequency or implement client-side rate limiting
Connection refused	Node unreachable	Verify the RPC endpoint URL and that the node is running

system_version -- Get the node implementation version
system_chain -- Get the chain name
system_properties -- Get chain properties (token symbol, decimals, SS58 format)
state_getRuntimeVersion -- Get the on-chain runtime version
rpc_methods -- List all available RPC methods

system_name - Kusama RPC Method

When to Use This Method

Code Examples

Common Use Cases

1. Full Node Identity Report

2. Infrastructure Audit Across Nodes

3. Connection Health Check with Client Info

Error Handling

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