Proxmox Storage Configuration for Beginners with ZFS/Ceph

Proxmox Storage Configuration for Beginners

Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) is a powerful open-source virtualization platform that supports both KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) and LXC (Linux Containers). One of its key strengths lies in its flexible storage model, allowing users to integrate different storage technologies seamlessly. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the basics of Proxmox storage configuration to get you started.

Understanding Proxmox Storage Types

Proxmox supports various storage backends, including:

Local Storage: Uses the server’s physical disks. Ideal for small setups and test environments.

• Directory: Stores virtual disks as files on a mounted filesystem.
• LVM (Logical Volume Manager): Provides block-level storage.

Network Storage: Uses external storage devices accessible over the network. Suitable for clustering and large-scale environments.

• NFS (Network File System)
• CIFS/SMB (Common Internet File System)
• iSCSI (Internet Small Computer Systems Interface)
• Ceph: Distributed storage for high availability.

  
  ZFS Storage: Provides advanced file system capabilities with integrated volume management, snapshots, and data integrity checks. Ideal for high-performance and fault-tolerant systems.

Setting Up Storage in Proxmox

1. Adding Local Storage

• Access the Proxmox web interface (https://your-proxmox-ip:8006).
• Navigate to Datacenter > Storage.
• Click Add and select Directory.
• Provide a unique ID and the Directory Path (e.g., /mnt/data).
• Choose content types (e.g., Disk image, Container, ISO image).
• Click Add to save your changes.

2. Configuring NFS Storage

• Ensure the NFS server is accessible and permissions are configured.
• In the Proxmox web interface, go to Datacenter > Storage.
• Click Add and select NFS.
• Enter a unique ID and the Server IP address.
• Click Export to list available NFS shares.
• Choose a share and specify content types.
• Click Add to integrate the NFS storage.

3. Setting Up LVM Storage

• Ensure the target disk is unformatted.
• Go to Node > Disks > LVM.
• Click Create: Volume Group.
• Provide a name and select the desired disk.
• Confirm by clicking Create.

4. Configuring ZFS Storage

• Ensure the target disk is available and unformatted.
• Go to Node > Disks > ZFS.
• Click Create: ZFS Pool.
• Enter a Pool Name and select the available disks.
• Choose a RAID level (e.g., RAID-Z for redundancy).
• Confirm by clicking Create.