1. Introduction to Proxmox
Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) is open-source software for virtualization, based on Debian. It supports both full virtualization (KVM) and containerization (LXC), making it an ideal solution for dedicated servers handling demanding applications.
2. Choosing and Configuring Hardware
For a server intended to handle high-performance applications, key hardware components are crucial:
2.1 Processor (CPU)
* Recommended processors with a large number of cores/threads, such as Intel Xeon or AMD EPYC.
* Support for VT-x/VT-d (Intel) or AMD-V (AMD) instructions for virtualization.
* Support for extensions like AVX to accelerate processing in certain applications.
2.2 Memory (RAM)
* A minimum of 32 GB RAM for more demanding applications.
* ECC (Error Correcting Code) for increased stability.
* Dynamically allocate RAM using ballooning (memory ballooning).
2.3 Storage
* Recommended fast NVMe SSDs in a RAID array for redundancy and speed.
* Ability to use ZFS, which provides data integrity and easy snapshots.
* Cache configuration on a separate SSD (e.g., ZFS L2ARC).
2.4 Networking
* Minimum 1 GbE, preferably 10 GbE for large data throughput.
* Ability to aggregate interfaces (bonding) and apply VLAN.
3. Installing and Configuring Proxmox
3.1 System Installation
1. Download the ISO image from the official Proxmox website.
2. Install on a dedicated server with ZFS RAID option (if available).
3. Configure network addresses and access to the management panel through a web browser.
3.2 Storage Configuration
* Ability to use local storage (ZFS, LVM, ext4) or external systems like NFS, Ceph.
* Recommended separation of the operating system from application storage.
3.3 Creating and Managing Virtual Machines
* Create virtual machines with assigned CPU, RAM, and storage resources.
* Optimize CPU allocation and NUMA node affinity for better resource utilization.
* Configure VirtIO for improved disk and network performance.
3.4 Creating LXC Containers
* LXC is lighter than KVM, allowing for higher instance density.
* Use CPU and RAM restrictions to ensure even resource distribution.
4. Performance Optimization
4.1 Proxmox Tuning
* Configure CPU pinning for isolated applications.
* Use Transparent Huge Pages (THP) to improve RAM performance.
* Configure I/O schedulers (e.g., none or mq-deadline for NVMe SSD).
4.2 Network Optimization
* Use SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization) to minimize network overhead.
* Configure Jumbo Frames for applications processing large data packets.
* TCP offloading in network drivers.
4.3 Monitoring and Security
* Install Prometheus + Grafana for monitoring resources.
* Regularly update and secure access through VPN or firewall.
* Use Proxmox Backup Server for snapshots and backups.
5. Use Cases
5.1 High-Performance Database
* Use LXC containers for PostgreSQL/MySQL to minimize virtualization overhead.
* Assign dedicated NVMe RAID storage.
* Configure NUMA for better RAM placement.
5.2 Compute Server
* Create dedicated VMs for AI/ML applications.
* Allocate virtual GPUs (e.g., NVIDIA vGPU, PCI passthrough).
* Optimize RAM and storage for computational models.
5.3 Hosting Multiple Applications
* Separate applications in LXC containers.
* Use a load balancer (e.g., HAProxy) to manage traffic.
* Configure network VLANs for isolating traffic.
6. Conclusion
Proxmox is a powerful server infrastructure management solution, offering flexibility, high performance, and stability. Proper hardware configuration and optimization enable running demanding applications without unnecessary resource waste. Integration with monitoring systems and backup tools ensures security and continuity of service.
Download Proxmox software from: https://www.proxmox.com/en/
