Proxmox: Virtualization, Clustering, and Management

• The training is primarily intended for administrators who have little to no experience with virtualization and Proxmox.

The training is conducted in the form of a workshop, where everything will be practiced hands-on. From installing the Proxmox server to setting up High Availability (HA) for virtual machines.

• Introduction to Virtualization, Containerization, and Proxmox
• Setting up Proxmox
• Configuring Storage
• Working with KVM Virtual Machines
• Working with LXC Containers (Lightweight Virtualization)
• Backup and Restore
• Migration and High Availability (HA)

Basic knowledge of Linux administration.

Introduction

• Introduction to Virtualization
• What is Proxmox
• Key Features of Proxmox
• Proxmox vs Others (VMWare, OpenStack, etc.)
• Proxmox Pricing Model (+ comparison with VMWare)

Setup

• Installation Requirements and Dependencies
• Installing from ISO
• Installing on Debian (lab & dev environment)
• Basic Configuration: SSL, Network, etc.

Proxmox UI

• Introduction to Proxmox UI
• Basic Orientation in Sections (Datacenter, Nodes, etc.)
• Working with Long Running Jobs

Storage

• Introduction to Storage Options in Proxmox
• Local Storage
• LVM, Disks
• ZFS
• Network Storage and Arrays
• NFS
• iSCSI
• Ceph (RBD, CephFS)
• Proxmox Backup Server as Backup Storage
• Introduction to ZFS and ZFS Benefits
• ZFS Setup and Configuration
• Working with ZFS (UI and CLI)
• ZFS Send and Filesystem Synchronization
• Ceph as Storage for Kubernetes (running in Proxmox)

Virtual Machines (VMs)

• Introduction to KVM - Proxmox Virtualization
• Working with ISO Images
• Creating VMs (using UI, CLI, API, and Terraform)
• Managing VMs (using UI, CLI, API, and Terraform)
• VM Configuration with CloudInit
• Qemu Guest Agent (similar to VMware tools)
• Snapshots
• Backups & Restore
• Working with VM Templates

Containers

• What are Containers in Proxmox
• Difference Between Containers and Virtual Machines (VMs)
• Where to Use Containers
• Working with Container Templates
• Container Installation (using UI, CLI, API, and Terraform)
• Working with Containers

Proxmox Cluster

• Introduction to Proxmox Cluster and Its Benefits
• Hardware Requirements for Cluster Solutions
• Cluster Setup & Best Practices
• Replication
• Introduction to ZFS Storage Replication
• Replication Setup
• High Availability VMs (HA)
• Setting up High Availability for VMs
• HA Setup with ZFS Replication
• HA Setup with Ceph Storage
• High Availability Cluster Demo and Testing (VMs, Network, Storage)
• Live Migration of VMs
• Container Migration
• Troubleshooting (Cluster, Replication, HA)

Ceph

• Introduction to Ceph
• What is Ceph
• Key Features of Ceph
• How Ceph Works within a Proxmox Cluster
• Ceph Setup
• Installing Ceph on Proxmox Cluster
• Ceph Configuration
• Setting Up OSD and Proxmox Storage (Ceph RBD, CephFS)
• Managing Ceph
• From UI
• Using CLI
• Using Ceph in Kubernetes
• Troubleshooting Ceph

Networking

• Introduction to Proxmox Networking
• Network Interface Configuration
• Linux Bridge Configuration
• VLAN Configuration
• OVS Configuration
• Proxmox SDN (Software Defined Network)
• Managing Zones
• Working with VNets and Subnets
• Integration with IPAM
• Proxmox Firewall

Auth & Access Control

• Introduction to Proxmox Authentication Model
• SSO Configuration
• Integration with OpenID Connect
• Integration with LDAP, AD
• Introduction and Working with Resource Pools (segmenting VMs, etc.)
• Configuring Access to Resources (VMs, Storage, etc.)
• Creating Custom Roles

Monitoring

• Introduction to Proxmox Monitoring
• Email Notification Configuration
• Default Metrics in Proxmox
• Integration with External Monitoring Tools
• Integration with Prometheus and Grafana
• Integration with Zabbix

Backups & Disaster Recovery

• Introduction to DR Functionality in Proxmox
• Setting Up Automated Backups in the Cluster
• Proxmox Backup Server
• Disaster Recovery Demo

Proxmox Backup Server

• What is Proxmox Backup Server and Why Use It
• Key Features of PBS
• PBS Installation (via installer or on Debian)
• Basic PBS Configuration (SSO, Auth, etc.)
• Configuring Access and Tokens in PBS
• Datastores
• Introduction to Datastore Usage
• Configuring Datastore
• Connecting Proxmox and PBS Datastore
• Backing up Proxmox VMs to PBS
• Single File Recovery with PBS
  

VMware Migration

• How to Migrate from VMware to Proxmox
• VMware to Proxmox Migration Tool
  

Practical Demos & Q&A

• Anonymized Examples of Various Client Installations
• Common Issues and Their Solutions
• Questions and Answers – Everything You Want to Know