Shared storage directly on your Proxmox nodes - SME-ready, no expensive SAN, with live migration without copying VM data. We plan the design, build the cluster and take responsibility for operations.
Leading companies worldwide trust WZ-IT
The following are trademarks of their respective owners: Proxmox VE (Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH). WZ-IT is an independent service provider and has no business, partnership, or contractual relationship with these companies. We offer independent migration, installation, hosting, and operations services.
Ceph is not an end in itself. The honest answer depends on node count, budget and whether you actually need shared storage.
The detailed comparison including LVM: Proxmox storage: ZFS, Ceph & LVM compared
A Ceph cluster forgives a lot in operations - but little in design. These six points decide stability and performance before the first byte is written.
Ceph needs at least 10 Gbps - exclusively for storage traffic. High-performance setups separate further: 25+ Gbps Ceph-internal, 10+ Gbps public and 1 Gbps dedicated to Corosync. A single modern NVMe can already saturate 10 Gbps.
The default means: three copies of every object, I/O continues as long as two are available. Cutting down on replicas cuts exactly the redundancy Ceph is built for.
The docs are unambiguous: avoid RAID controllers, use host bus adapters (HBA) instead. RAID logic interferes with Ceph's own redundancy and recovery mechanisms rather than complementing them.
Current recommendation: at least 8 GiB of RAM per OSD, the default is 4 GiB. The old 1 GB per TB rule of thumb is outdated - size by OSD count, not by capacity.
Plan at least one core or thread per Ceph service - on top of your VMs. OSDs also benefit from high clock speeds, not just from many cores.
Proxmox VE 9.2 ships Ceph Squid 19.2.3 and Tentacle 20.2.1 - new installations default to Tentacle. The version choice belongs in the planning phase, not in the aftermath.
If an OSD fails, Ceph redistributes the data on its own. Important in operations: wait until the rebalance has finished and enough replicas exist again before intervening further.
The nearfull_ratio warns at 85% by default - a Ceph cluster should be planned well below that capacity-wise and monitored continuously.
EC yields more usable capacity - for the price of performance. RBD on EC pools additionally requires a replicated pool for metadata. An expert topic, not a default setup.
OSD, MON and pool health are onboarded to our highly available Zabbix cluster - we see anomalies before they become incidents.
Ceph and PVE updates coordinated, node by node, with an eye on cluster state - never all at once, never blind.
Ongoing Ceph operations are part of our Managed Proxmox Advanced and Enterprise packages: monitoring of OSD, MON and pool health, updates in maintenance windows, capacity planning and incident response - Managed Proxmox from €179.90 per node per month.
View Managed ProxmoxWe see these five patterns again and again when auditing existing Ceph clusters - each one costs stability, performance or both.
Ceph and Corosync on the same network - Corosync needs low latency; if it shares the wire with storage traffic, I/O load endangers cluster communication.
RAID controllers underneath the OSDs - exactly what the Ceph docs advise against. Use HBAs and leave redundancy to Ceph.
size 2 instead of 3 „to save space“ - undermines the redundancy Ceph is built for and turns every failure into a risk.
Cluster regularly above 85% fill level - beyond the nearfull_ratio, things get tight for recovery and rebalancing.
10 Gbps network shared with VM traffic - the docs require the Ceph network to be exclusive; a single modern NVMe can saturate the link on its own.
We audit existing Proxmox and Ceph environments in a structured health check - network, replication, fill levels, hardware - and take over operations afterwards if desired. Even without documentation.
In-depth knowledge from our Proxmox knowledge base.
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The minimum is three nodes - which matches the requirement for Proxmox HA clusters (at least 3 nodes plus shared storage). Three nodes allow the replication default of size 3 / min_size 2: three copies of every object, with I/O continuing as long as two are available. More nodes improve fault tolerance, rebalancing behavior and capacity.
They are different tools. Ceph is shared storage for 3+ nodes: live migration without copying VM data, self-healing, scale-out. ZFS is local storage - for 2-node setups or smaller environments combined with storage replication (pvesr): ZFS-only, asynchronous, minimum interval 1 minute, and the latest state may be lost on failover. If you want true HA with shared storage, you end up with Ceph; if you run 2 nodes, with ZFS plus replication.
At least 10 Gbps exclusively for Ceph traffic - sharing with VM or Corosync traffic is not an option, especially since a single modern NVMe can saturate 10 Gbps. High-performance setups separate further: 25+ Gbps for the Ceph-internal network, 10+ Gbps public and 1 Gbps dedicated to Corosync.
Yes, provided the hardware fits: at least 3 nodes, dedicated disks for the OSDs on HBAs (no RAID controllers), sufficient RAM (at least 8 GiB per OSD recommended) and an exclusive network with at least 10 Gbps. In practice, the network is the most common retrofit effort - which is exactly what we assess upfront during planning.
Ceph heals itself: the affected OSD goes down and the data is redistributed from the remaining replicas. With size 3 / min_size 2, I/O continues in the meantime. It is important to wait until the rebalance has finished and enough replicas exist again before further intervention - for us, that is part of the monitored standard procedure.
Yes. Ceph operations are part of our Managed Proxmox packages Advanced and Enterprise: monitoring of OSD, MON and pool health via our highly available Zabbix cluster, updates in maintenance windows, fill-level and capacity planning as well as incident response - Managed Proxmox from €179.90 per node per month.
Good choice - we'll help you get started or with operations.
These solutions are often used together with Proxmox
These solutions offer similar functionalities and can be evaluated together
No risk: worst case, you leave with a clearer understanding of your project than before.
“WZ-IT's advice on our Azure migration was technically sound and completely non-binding right from the intro call - we took away a great deal.”
“I got to know Timo and Robin as dedicated and professional partners who make a lot of things possible for their clients that initially seem impossible. I felt very well advised. The services offered have thoroughly convinced me. (translated)”
Andrea Pawlowski
Communications Manager, Golem.de
Golem.de - leading German IT news outlet.
“With Timo and Robin, you're not only on the safe side technically - you also get the best human support! Whether it's quick help in everyday life or complex IT solutions: the guys from WZ-IT think along with you, act quickly and speak a language you understand. The collaboration is uncomplicated, reliable and always on an equal footing. That makes IT fun - and above all: it works! Big thank you to the team! (translated)”
Sonja Aßer
Data Manager, ARGE
ARGE Neue Medien - master data & digital standards for plumbing and building technology.
“I recently worked with Timo and the WZ-IT team, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the best tech decisions I have made for my business. Right from the start, Timo took the time to walk me through every step in a simple and calm way. No matter how many questions I had, he never rushed me. The results speak for themselves. With WZ-IT, we reduced our monthly expenses from $1,300 down to $250. This was a huge win for us.”
Aleksandr Shuliko
CTO, EVA Real Estate, UAE
EVA Real Estate - leading real-estate agency in Dubai.
“WZ-IT manages our Proxmox cluster reliably and professionally. The team handles continuous monitoring and regular updates for us and responds very quickly to any issues or inquiries. They also configure new nodes, systems, and applications that we need to add to our cluster. With WZ-IT's proactive support, our cluster and the business-critical applications running on it remain stable, and high availability is consistently ensured. We value the professional collaboration and the noticeable relief it brings to our daily operations.”
Pascal Hakkers
Managing Director, Aphy B.V., Netherlands
Aphy - AI platform for hotel back-office.
“WZ-IT provided very competent support in implementing our server and virtualization infrastructure. As part of the project, a Proxmox-based virtualization environment was set up along with a virtual machine for our application systems. Additionally, a structured backup concept was implemented. A particular focus was on security: the setup of a VPN tunnel and the clean implementation of encryption and access concepts were professionally executed. The structured consulting as well as the reliable and swift implementation deserve special mention. We are very satisfied with the services provided and are happy to recommend WZ-IT.”
John Hellmerichs
Managing Director, AInergy GmbH
AInergy - consultancy for energy and facility management.
“We have had very good experiences with Mr. Wevelsiep and WZ-IT. The consultation was professional, clearly understandable, and at fair prices. The team not only implemented our requirements but also thought along and proactively. Instead of just processing individual tasks, they provided us with well-founded explanations that strengthened our own understanding. WZ-IT took a lot of pressure off us with their structured approach - that was exactly what we needed and is the reason why we keep coming back. (translated)”
Matthias Zimmermann
Managing Director, Annota GmbH
Annota - healthtech startup with an AI documentation assistant.
“Timo and Robin from WZ-IT set up a RocketChat server for us - and I couldn't be more satisfied! From the initial consultation to the final implementation, everything was absolutely professional, efficient, and to my complete satisfaction. I particularly appreciate the clear communication, transparent pricing, and the comprehensive expertise that both bring to the table. Even after the setup, they take care of the maintenance, which frees up my time enormously and allows me to focus on other important areas of my business - with the good feeling that our IT is in the best hands. I can recommend WZ-IT without reservation and look forward to continuing our collaboration! (translated)”
Sebastian Maier
Managing Director, Yonju GmbH
Yonju - business coaching and AI products.
“Counting on WZ-IT team was crucial, their expertise and solutions gave us the pace to deploy in production our services, even suggesting and performing improvements over our configuration and setup. We expect to keep counting on them for continuous maintenance of our services and implementation of new solutions.”
Gabriel Sanz Señor
Managing Director, Odiseo Solutions
Odiseo Solutions - software engineering for the space industry.
“I got to know Timo and Robin as dedicated and professional partners who make a lot of things possible for their clients that initially seem impossible. I felt very well advised. The services offered have thoroughly convinced me. (translated)”
Andrea Pawlowski
Communications Manager, Golem.de
Golem.de - leading German IT news outlet.
“With Timo and Robin, you're not only on the safe side technically - you also get the best human support! Whether it's quick help in everyday life or complex IT solutions: the guys from WZ-IT think along with you, act quickly and speak a language you understand. The collaboration is uncomplicated, reliable and always on an equal footing. That makes IT fun - and above all: it works! Big thank you to the team! (translated)”
Sonja Aßer
Data Manager, ARGE
ARGE Neue Medien - master data & digital standards for plumbing and building technology.
“I recently worked with Timo and the WZ-IT team, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the best tech decisions I have made for my business. Right from the start, Timo took the time to walk me through every step in a simple and calm way. No matter how many questions I had, he never rushed me. The results speak for themselves. With WZ-IT, we reduced our monthly expenses from $1,300 down to $250. This was a huge win for us.”
Aleksandr Shuliko
CTO, EVA Real Estate, UAE
EVA Real Estate - leading real-estate agency in Dubai.
“WZ-IT manages our Proxmox cluster reliably and professionally. The team handles continuous monitoring and regular updates for us and responds very quickly to any issues or inquiries. They also configure new nodes, systems, and applications that we need to add to our cluster. With WZ-IT's proactive support, our cluster and the business-critical applications running on it remain stable, and high availability is consistently ensured. We value the professional collaboration and the noticeable relief it brings to our daily operations.”
Pascal Hakkers
Managing Director, Aphy B.V., Netherlands
Aphy - AI platform for hotel back-office.
“WZ-IT provided very competent support in implementing our server and virtualization infrastructure. As part of the project, a Proxmox-based virtualization environment was set up along with a virtual machine for our application systems. Additionally, a structured backup concept was implemented. A particular focus was on security: the setup of a VPN tunnel and the clean implementation of encryption and access concepts were professionally executed. The structured consulting as well as the reliable and swift implementation deserve special mention. We are very satisfied with the services provided and are happy to recommend WZ-IT.”
John Hellmerichs
Managing Director, AInergy GmbH
AInergy - consultancy for energy and facility management.
“We have had very good experiences with Mr. Wevelsiep and WZ-IT. The consultation was professional, clearly understandable, and at fair prices. The team not only implemented our requirements but also thought along and proactively. Instead of just processing individual tasks, they provided us with well-founded explanations that strengthened our own understanding. WZ-IT took a lot of pressure off us with their structured approach - that was exactly what we needed and is the reason why we keep coming back. (translated)”
Matthias Zimmermann
Managing Director, Annota GmbH
Annota - healthtech startup with an AI documentation assistant.
“Timo and Robin from WZ-IT set up a RocketChat server for us - and I couldn't be more satisfied! From the initial consultation to the final implementation, everything was absolutely professional, efficient, and to my complete satisfaction. I particularly appreciate the clear communication, transparent pricing, and the comprehensive expertise that both bring to the table. Even after the setup, they take care of the maintenance, which frees up my time enormously and allows me to focus on other important areas of my business - with the good feeling that our IT is in the best hands. I can recommend WZ-IT without reservation and look forward to continuing our collaboration! (translated)”
Sebastian Maier
Managing Director, Yonju GmbH
Yonju - business coaching and AI products.
“Counting on WZ-IT team was crucial, their expertise and solutions gave us the pace to deploy in production our services, even suggesting and performing improvements over our configuration and setup. We expect to keep counting on them for continuous maintenance of our services and implementation of new solutions.”
Gabriel Sanz Señor
Managing Director, Odiseo Solutions
Odiseo Solutions - software engineering for the space industry.
“I got to know Timo and Robin as dedicated and professional partners who make a lot of things possible for their clients that initially seem impossible. I felt very well advised. The services offered have thoroughly convinced me. (translated)”
Andrea Pawlowski
Communications Manager, Golem.de
Golem.de - leading German IT news outlet.
“With Timo and Robin, you're not only on the safe side technically - you also get the best human support! Whether it's quick help in everyday life or complex IT solutions: the guys from WZ-IT think along with you, act quickly and speak a language you understand. The collaboration is uncomplicated, reliable and always on an equal footing. That makes IT fun - and above all: it works! Big thank you to the team! (translated)”
Sonja Aßer
Data Manager, ARGE
ARGE Neue Medien - master data & digital standards for plumbing and building technology.
“I recently worked with Timo and the WZ-IT team, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the best tech decisions I have made for my business. Right from the start, Timo took the time to walk me through every step in a simple and calm way. No matter how many questions I had, he never rushed me. The results speak for themselves. With WZ-IT, we reduced our monthly expenses from $1,300 down to $250. This was a huge win for us.”
Aleksandr Shuliko
CTO, EVA Real Estate, UAE
EVA Real Estate - leading real-estate agency in Dubai.
“WZ-IT manages our Proxmox cluster reliably and professionally. The team handles continuous monitoring and regular updates for us and responds very quickly to any issues or inquiries. They also configure new nodes, systems, and applications that we need to add to our cluster. With WZ-IT's proactive support, our cluster and the business-critical applications running on it remain stable, and high availability is consistently ensured. We value the professional collaboration and the noticeable relief it brings to our daily operations.”
Pascal Hakkers
Managing Director, Aphy B.V., Netherlands
Aphy - AI platform for hotel back-office.
“WZ-IT provided very competent support in implementing our server and virtualization infrastructure. As part of the project, a Proxmox-based virtualization environment was set up along with a virtual machine for our application systems. Additionally, a structured backup concept was implemented. A particular focus was on security: the setup of a VPN tunnel and the clean implementation of encryption and access concepts were professionally executed. The structured consulting as well as the reliable and swift implementation deserve special mention. We are very satisfied with the services provided and are happy to recommend WZ-IT.”
John Hellmerichs
Managing Director, AInergy GmbH
AInergy - consultancy for energy and facility management.
“We have had very good experiences with Mr. Wevelsiep and WZ-IT. The consultation was professional, clearly understandable, and at fair prices. The team not only implemented our requirements but also thought along and proactively. Instead of just processing individual tasks, they provided us with well-founded explanations that strengthened our own understanding. WZ-IT took a lot of pressure off us with their structured approach - that was exactly what we needed and is the reason why we keep coming back. (translated)”
Matthias Zimmermann
Managing Director, Annota GmbH
Annota - healthtech startup with an AI documentation assistant.
“Timo and Robin from WZ-IT set up a RocketChat server for us - and I couldn't be more satisfied! From the initial consultation to the final implementation, everything was absolutely professional, efficient, and to my complete satisfaction. I particularly appreciate the clear communication, transparent pricing, and the comprehensive expertise that both bring to the table. Even after the setup, they take care of the maintenance, which frees up my time enormously and allows me to focus on other important areas of my business - with the good feeling that our IT is in the best hands. I can recommend WZ-IT without reservation and look forward to continuing our collaboration! (translated)”
Sebastian Maier
Managing Director, Yonju GmbH
Yonju - business coaching and AI products.
“Counting on WZ-IT team was crucial, their expertise and solutions gave us the pace to deploy in production our services, even suggesting and performing improvements over our configuration and setup. We expect to keep counting on them for continuous maintenance of our services and implementation of new solutions.”
Gabriel Sanz Señor
Managing Director, Odiseo Solutions
Odiseo Solutions - software engineering for the space industry.
Whether a specific IT challenge or just an idea - we look forward to the exchange. In a brief conversation, we'll evaluate together if and how your project fits with WZ-IT.
Leading companies trust WZ-IT
Timo Wevelsiep & Robin Zins
Managing Directors of WZ-IT
