×Run Proxmox on IONOS
Single node & HA on dedicated servers
Single node or HA cluster on IONOS Dedicated – with unlimited traffic, private network & VLAN, operations & support.
Why Proxmox on IONOS?
Enterprise virtualization without vendor lock-in on IONOS Dedicated – with unlimited traffic and private networking.
Unlimited Traffic
IONOS Dedicated Servers include unlimited traffic – no surprises on the bill.
Cost
Proxmox is open source. IONOS Dedicated at competitive prices. No per-socket licenses.
EU & GDPR
IONOS data centers in Germany. German company, European data sovereignty.
Performance
Dedicated hardware = consistent performance. No noisy neighbors, no throttling.
Typical Use Cases
Single Node Setup – Best Practice
Proxmox works as single node or as cluster. For many SMB setups, a properly operated single-node system is sufficient – what matters is backups, monitoring and documented updates.
When Single Node Makes Sense
Budget focus, simpler management, manageable workloads
Single Node ≠ Insecure
Professionally operated with backups, restore tests and monitoring
Upgrade Path to HA
Can be expanded to cluster anytime when requirements grow
Single Node vs HA Cluster
Single Node
- • Simple setup & management
- • Lower costs
- • Backup/restore as DR strategy
HA Cluster (3+ Nodes)
- • Automatic failover
- • Live migration without downtime
- • Maintenance during operation
Architecture Options
Which architecture fits your requirements? We help with the decision.
Option 1: Single Node Proxmox on IONOS Dedicated
One dedicated server for smaller workloads or cost focus. Full performance, unlimited traffic, simple setup.
- Simple setup & management
- Unlimited traffic included
- Predictable monthly costs
- Ideal for SMB & dev/test
Option 2: Proxmox Cluster on IONOS Dedicated (HA)
3+ nodes for true high availability. Automatic failover, live migration, maximum resilience.
- True HA failover
- Live migration without downtime
- Maintenance without outage
- Enterprise-ready
Option 3: Separate Management + Proxmox Nodes
Separate bastion/jump server for secure access. Proxmox nodes only reachable via private network.
- Enhanced security
- Clean access separation
- Monitoring on jump server
- Best practice for compliance
Network Design (Private Network / VLAN)
IONOS offers Private Network and tagged VLAN for dedicated servers – we configure it optimally for Proxmox.
Private Network (Cloud Panel)
Logical network segmentation via IONOS Cloud Panel. Private IPs for internal communication between dedicated servers.
Tagged VLAN for Dedicated Servers
IONOS enables tagged VLAN setup for dedicated servers – isolated networks for cluster, storage and management.
Separated Networks
Best practice: Management, cluster/Corosync and storage on separate VLANs for security and performance.
Best Practice: Separated Networks via Tagged VLAN
Management
Web GUI, SSH, API access
Cluster/Corosync
Heartbeat, quorum, cluster sync
Storage (optional)
Ceph, NFS, iSCSI traffic
Cluster & High Availability
Proxmox Cluster Manager and HA Manager enable automatic failover on node failures. We configure this for you.
Cluster Setup
pvecm, naming concept, network requirements
HA Manager
Automatic failover of VMs and containers
Quorum & Split-Brain
3-node recommendation, QDevice for 2-node setups
Storage Design
ZFS (Lokal)
Fast, simple, ideal for local storage and single node. But: HA/live migration requires shared storage.
Recommended for single nodeCeph (Verteilt)
Shared storage, HA-friendly, self-healing. More complex, requires dedicated network via VLAN.
Recommended for HA clustersBackup, Updates, Monitoring
Professional operations mean: automation, monitoring, documented processes.
Backup Strategy
- Proxmox Backup Server (PBS)
- Defined RPO/RTO
- Immutable & offsite backups
- Regular restore tests
Update Management
- Rolling updates
- Documented runbooks
- Coordinated maintenance windows
- Rollback plans
Monitoring & Alerting
- Host/VM/storage metrics
- Backup job monitoring
- Alerting on issues
- Capacity planning
Project Process
How we work – transparent and structured.
Assessment
Analysis of existing workloads, network, storage and requirements
Architecture & Sizing
Planning the optimal configuration for your requirements
Build
Setup of cluster/single node, private network/VLAN, storage and backup
Test
Failover tests, restore tests, live migration validation
Migration
Cutover of existing workloads with minimal downtime
Operations & Support
Ongoing maintenance, monitoring and support as needed
Support & Operating Models
One-time Setup
We set up your Proxmox server/cluster, document everything and hand over to your team.
Co-Managed
Your team handles daily operations, we support with updates, troubleshooting and expansions.
Fully Managed
We handle complete operations: monitoring, updates, backups, support – you focus on your business.
Alternative Platforms
More Proxmox Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Proxmox on IONOS – Answers to Your Questions
Basics
Yes – Single Node on Dedicated is a very common starting point. Proxmox explicitly supports Single Node; for high availability you then need multiple nodes.
For true HA with stable quorum: 3+ nodes is standard. Two nodes only work with additional quorum strategy and more "ops overhead".
Proxmox has no license cost; costs depend on Dedicated sizing, storage concept and your support/operating model. We calculate transparently based on your workloads and desired response times.
For Proxmox, RAM/IOPS usually matters more than CPU clock. We size based on your VM profiles, storage write rate and growth; for Single Node we recommend "stable and enough reserve" rather than calculated tight.
Traffic & Costs
IONOS advertises "Unlimited Traffic" for Dedicated Servers, which provides planning security for many workloads. Still worth checking contract details (e.g. special cases/abuse/port speed) to avoid misunderstandings.
Not "hidden", but often forgotten: additional public IPs, backup solutions, monitoring stack, and operational overhead (updates/on-call). We list these items separately in quotes so you have true TCO.
Yes, that's often possible – important is then clean routing/NAT so management and VM traffic doesn't go "wild". We plan Public IPs as "edge", not as internal cluster network.
Network & VLAN
At IONOS this works via tagged VLANs (802.1Q) – IONOS has dedicated step-by-step guides (Linux/Windows). This is exactly how you build a private network between Dedicated Servers.
As always: Management separated from Corosync/Cluster. If Ceph/storage is added: own storage network (preferably via VLAN), so traffic stays stable.
IONOS describes Private Network as a way to logically connect/segment systems. In Dedicated-only setups we often use VLAN as the "reliable" base and build separation on top.
Often it's VLAN tagging/interface MTU/802.1Q modules or wrong IP plans. IONOS explicitly describes tagged VLAN setup; we set it up so Corosync/storage runs stable.
Storage
Starting small = usually ZFS on Single Node. Ceph is more worthwhile when you have 3+ nodes and a dedicated storage network and really want to use HA/live migration.
Operations & Migration
We do inventory + test migration, then cutover with plan/checklist. Important: Storage and network decisions upfront, otherwise it gets expensive/complicated later.
VPN/bastion instead of open GUI, plus firewalling and clean roles. This keeps the admin interface from being "public".
Backups are "design", not feature: Define RPO/RTO, automate, offsite/immutable as needed, restore tests as routine. Without restore tests the backup doesn't count as finished for us.
Single Node: Maintenance window + rollback plan. Cluster: Rolling update node-by-node with tests and monitoring.
Support
Yes. Hour packages for ad-hoc help/changes; retainer/managed for predictable operations, monitoring and defined response times.
One-time setup (handover), co-managed (you operate, we support), fully managed (we operate end-to-end). This is particularly practical for Proxmox since updates/backups/monitoring are ongoing.
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Let's Talk About Your Idea
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.
Trusted by leading companies
Timo Wevelsiep & Robin Zins
CEOs of WZ-IT