Knowledge base
Proxmox VE: Guides, Comparisons and Operations
Proxmox VE is the open-source platform for virtualization and containers that lets companies run their own private cloud, without licence fees for Proxmox VE. Open interfaces and formats facilitate integration; dependencies on tools, data formats and operational knowledge still need consideration. We run Proxmox clusters in production for customers, from single node to HA cluster. On these pages we explain how Proxmox works, how to set it up and what matters in operations. Beginners start with fundamentals and installation; operations and migration follow in the later sections.
Basics
What is Proxmox?
Proxmox VE virtualizes servers with KVM and LXC, no per-core license fee. Architecture, product family, version 9.2, VMware and Hyper-V compared.LXC vs VM in Proxmox: Container or Virtual Machine (KVM)?
Proxmox LXC or VM (KVM)? Differences in kernel, isolation, live migration and Windows, with a decision table and a note on Docker.Proxmox vs. Docker vs. LXC: The Difference and When Which Fits
Proxmox vs. Docker vs. LXC: Difference, Docker in a VM or LXC, OCI images since VE 9.1 and which option fits which workload.Proxmox Storage: ZFS, Ceph & LVM - Which Filesystem?
ZFS, Ceph, LVM-thin or NFS: which storage fits Proxmox VE? RAM needs, cluster suitability and recommendations per scenario with a comparison table.Costs, comparison and migration
Proxmox vs KVM: platform or your own libvirt stack?
Proxmox vs KVM: distinguish the hypervisor, QEMU, libvirt and platform. Assess management, clustering, backup and operational responsibility.Move Proxmox to new hardware: process and handover
Move a Proxmox server: assess backup restore and cluster migration, check CPU, storage and networking, and document the service provider handover.VMware exit strategy: business case and migration plan
Plan a VMware exit with a documented business case: inventory, target design, full costs, parallel operations, risks and migration approvals.VMware migration checklist: readiness and assessment
Assess VMware migration readiness: document inventory, approvals, storage, networking, drivers, backups, rehearsal, cutover and rollback evidence.Migrate Nutanix AHV to Proxmox: OVA, import and acceptance
Migrate Nutanix AHV to Proxmox: inventory, Prism Central OVA export, OVF or disk import, guest checks, cutover and rollback planning.How Much Does Proxmox Cost?
Proxmox VE is free. Subscription tiers, tier differences, PBS pricing and total cost of ownership at a glance.Proxmox vs VMware: Comparison of Technology, Cost and Migration
Proxmox VE or VMware vSphere? Technology, feature table, Broadcom licensing (per core, 16-core minimum) and the Proxmox subscription in a cost frame.VMware to Proxmox Migration: A Complete Guide
Migrate VMware ESXi to Proxmox VE with the import wizard: step by step, vSAN limits, VirtIO drivers for Windows and a rollback path via the original VM.Migrate Hyper-V to Proxmox: step by step with direct VHDX import
Migrate Hyper-V VMs to Proxmox: import VHDX with qm disk import, install VirtIO drivers, handle Gen1/Gen2, vTPM and activation. With commands.Proxmox Pros and Cons - and When It Fits
Proxmox pros and cons: young DRS equivalent, smaller ecosystem, more self-service, vendor support via subscription - and when it fits.Running Proxmox commercially without a subscription: is it viable, and what are the risks?
Run Proxmox without a subscription commercially: AGPLv3 allows it. Repositories, production risks and when the Community subscription is worth it.Licensing Windows Server on Proxmox: cores, OSEs and the cluster question
Licensing Windows Server on Proxmox: core minimums, Standard vs. Datacenter, clusters with live migration and activation via KMS instead of AVMA.XCP-ng vs. Proxmox: two open-source paths out of the VMware world
XCP-ng or Proxmox VE? Architecture, management, storage and backup compared, plus support costs (Vates VMS, Proxmox subscription) and migration paths.Proxmox vs. Hyper-V: a comparison for mid-sized businesses
Proxmox VE or Hyper-V? Three worked examples for Windows Server 2025 licensing, plus clustering, storage (Ceph vs. S2D), backup and management compared.VMware alternatives: assess Proxmox, Hyper-V, XCP-ng and Nutanix
Compare VMware alternatives by applications, storage, backups and operations: Proxmox, Hyper-V, XCP-ng and Nutanix, with exit decision criteria.Setup & operations
Proxmox maintenance contract: scope and checklist
Proxmox maintenance contract checklist: distinguish subscriptions, operations, responsibilities, updates, backup, incident response and handover.Automated Proxmox installation: answer file and ISO
Proxmox auto-install with answer.toml: choose a source, check target disks, prepare the ISO and validate first boot. As of October 2026.Create a Proxmox VM: Ubuntu, Linux and Windows
Create a VM in Proxmox: choose ISO, storage, CPU, RAM and networking, install Ubuntu or Windows and check backup. As of October 2026.Update a Proxmox cluster: sequence, HA and reboot
Plan Proxmox minor updates in a cluster: maintain one node at a time, move HA guests, check the reboot and proceed only after acceptance.Update Proxmox: repositories, packages and reboot
Update Proxmox VE within a major release: check repositories, use the GUI or APT, and prepare reboots and cluster maintenance.Secure and harden Proxmox: checklist
Secure Proxmox: review web GUI, SSH, 2FA, firewall, roles, API tokens, updates and backup protection with a checklist and vendor documentation.How to Install Proxmox VE 9.2: Step by Step
Install Proxmox VE 9.2: write the ISO to USB, choose the filesystem (ext4 or ZFS), set up networking, reach the web UI on port 8006, run the first update.Proxmox on Hetzner: ZFS RAID1 Single-Node Setup with Auto-Install Script
Install Proxmox VE on Hetzner: single node with ZFS RAID1 via rescue system and script, including IPv4/IPv6, bridges and quick checks.Proxmox Hardware Requirements and Sizing
Proxmox hardware requirements: minimum and recommended values for CPU (VT-x/AMD-V), RAM with ZFS, NVMe instead of hardware RAID and cluster networking.Proxmox VE 8 to 9 Upgrade: Guide for Clusters with Ceph, PBS and HA
Proxmox VE 8 has been end of life since August 2026. Upgrade to PVE 9 with pve8to9, Ceph Squid, PBS 4, repositories and cluster order.Remove the Proxmox Subscription Notice: Guide
Remove the Proxmox No valid subscription notice: disable the enterprise repo, set the no-subscription repo, patch and verify. PVE 9 and 8.Monitor Proxmox: the monitoring tools compared (Zabbix, Checkmk, Grafana, Pulse)
Monitoring Proxmox: Zabbix, Checkmk, Grafana/Prometheus and Pulse compared - what each tool covers, where the gaps are and which approach fits.Monitor Proxmox with Zabbix: set up the “Proxmox VE by HTTP” template
Monitor Proxmox with Zabbix: the “Proxmox VE by HTTP” template, API token with PVEAuditor, discovery, SMART/ZFS gaps and alerting.Proxmox GPU Passthrough and NVIDIA vGPU: Guide and Decision Aid
Proxmox GPU passthrough or NVIDIA vGPU: IOMMU, SR-IOV, licensing per CCU, supported cards, error 43 and what holds up for AI workloads.Kubernetes on Proxmox
Install Talos Linux on Proxmox
Coming soon: Proxmox troubleshooting
High availability & networking
Set up Proxmox ZFS replication: pvesr and limits
Plan and configure Proxmox ZFS replication: storage IDs, jobs, networking, checks and the limits of pvesr, HA and pve-zsync.Proxmox cluster network design: Corosync and storage
Plan a provider-neutral Proxmox cluster: separate Corosync, management, storage and migration, check redundancy and use Hetzner, OVH and IONOS guides.Proxmox DRS and load balancing: configure CRS
Understand Proxmox load balancing with CRS: dynamic CPU and RAM load, HA resources, configuration and limits compared with VMware DRS.Set up Ceph on Proxmox and verify cluster health
Set up Ceph on Proxmox: plan nodes, networking, OSDs and pools, verify replication and assess cluster health with ceph status and health detail.Setting Up a Proxmox HA Cluster: High Availability Step by Step
Proxmox HA cluster setup: quorum, Ceph or ZFS replication, HA manager and fencing. With commands, common errors and a failover test.Proxmox two-node cluster with a QDevice: quorum without a third node
Proxmox two-node cluster with a QDevice: retain quorum on node failure, install qnetd and qdevice, test failover and choose storage.Proxmox Cluster Networking on Hetzner: Using Private Networks + vSwitch Properly
Proxmox on Hetzner: cluster networking with vSwitch and Private Networks, separating Corosync from storage, MTU and reference architectures.Proxmox Cluster Networking on OVH: Separating vRack, Corosync and Storage
Proxmox on OVHcloud: use vRack as private Layer 2, keep Corosync apart from storage, assign Additional IPs. With bridge and pvecm examples.Proxmox Cluster Networking on IONOS: Private Network with VLAN (802.1Q)
Proxmox on IONOS: set up a Private Network with VLAN (802.1Q), separate the Corosync network, reference architectures for single node and cluster.Proxmox on Hetzner with one IP and a firewall VM
Proxmox on Hetzner with one IPv4: compare NAT, routed networks, OPNsense, pfSense and VyOS, and plan management access and return routes.OVH Additional IP in Proxmox: bridge, gateway and NAT
OVH Additional IP with Proxmox: distinguish virtual MAC, gateway, bridge and routed mode. Compare single-IP NAT with OPNsense and vRack.Proxmox on IONOS: private VM network behind one IP
Proxmox on IONOS: distinguish a private VM bridge, NAT behind one IP and provider VLANs. Check product scope, gateways and acceptance.Proxmox on IONOS: multiple public IPs and routing
Multiple public IPs for Proxmox on IONOS: distinguish product scope, MAC rules, NAT and routing. Check IP assignments and return paths.Backup
Backup software for Proxmox: compare solutions
Compare backup software for Proxmox: assess PBS, vzdump, Veeam and NAKIVO by integration, recovery, operations and evidence.Restore a Proxmox host with PBS: process and limits
Rebuild a failed PVE host: prepare host configuration, PBS access, keys, guest restore and cluster replacement as separate recovery steps.Proxmox disaster recovery: backups, replication and runbook
Plan Proxmox DR: compare backup restore, ZFS replication and stretched Ceph, then prepare site recovery and a runbook with acceptance criteria.Proxmox Backup Server setup: installation and operations
Set up PBS: requirements, ISO installation, datastore, port 8007, PVE integration and restore testing. Assess VM, LXC and NFS deployment choices.PBS with Hetzner Object Storage: S3 setup and checks
PBS and Hetzner S3: plan native backend, bucket, cache, permissions and recovery. Limits and acceptance checks without unverified performance claims.What is Proxmox Backup Server (PBS)?
Features, licence and pricing, PBS vs. vzdump.Test PBS restores: check VMs and containers in isolation
Test PBS restores step by step: isolated target, VM and container recovery, boot checks, key access and a documented result.Proxmox Backup Server Offsite: Pull Architecture and Asymmetric Retention
Set up Proxmox Backup Server offsite: pull sync job, retention, encryption, verify jobs, hosting options and 3-2-1-1-0.Proxmox Backup Server vs. Veeam: which backup solution for Proxmox VE?
PBS or Veeam for Proxmox VE? Cost example for 30 VMs, Community Edition, deduplication, immutability and Veeam's LXC limit compared.Encrypt Proxmox backups: PBS and key management
Encrypt Proxmox backups with PBS: create and separately store keys, then verify access during recovery. Covers differences from vzdump and Storage Box.Set up encrypted Proxmox backups with Hetzner Storage Box
Encrypt Proxmox backups on a Hetzner Storage Box: set up gocryptfs and CIFS, store VM backups offsite, plus the Proxmox Backup Server variant.Modules & hosting
Proxmox in the public sector: evidence and assessment
Proxmox in public administration: documented deployments, limits of the evidence and checks for operations, procurement and recovery.Sovereign virtualization with Proxmox: assessment criteria
Assess sovereign virtualization with Proxmox: distinguish data location, administrative access, open interfaces, operational skills and exit paths.Install Proxmox Datacenter Manager and connect remotes
Install PDM: requirements, ISO or Debian, port 8443, remotes, roles and updates. Understand LXC, Docker and no-subscription limitations.What Is Proxmox Datacenter Manager (PDM)?
What is Proxmox Datacenter Manager (PDM)? Difference from a cluster, version 1.1 features, maturity and who should use it.What is Proxmox Mail Gateway (PMG)?
Features, license and subscription.Rent a Proxmox Server: Hosting Providers Compared
Rent a Proxmox server: Hetzner, IONOS, OVHcloud and netcup compared by location, GDPR, network and nested virtualization. Self-managed vs. managed Proxmox.From one team
WZ-IT builds and runs Proxmox in production for companies - design, build and operations from one team.
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We design and maintain Proxmox environments from a single node to an HA cluster, including migration, storage, backup, and ongoing operations.
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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.
Jakob ÖschlbergerInno7 GmbH
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.