LINUX, PROXMOX, MS-01, CONFIGURATION, SCRIPTING, HOMELAB, BASH, PDM, PVE, PBS

Proxmox Scripts - Datacenter Manager and MS-01

I’ve got a new Mini PC, the Minisforum MS-01, which I’m using as an additional Proxmox VE host in my homelab.

I really like that it’s got three slots for NVMe SSDs and four network adapters. Two of the network adapters are 10Gbps SFP+. It can run with up to 64 GB RAM, and the better CPU model can also handle 96 GB memory.

Here are the specs for my model:

  • CPU: Intel 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900H - 5Ghz
  • RAM: 64GB - 2x Crucial 32768 MB SODIMM
  • Storage: NVMe SSD 1: Crucial P310 1TB
  • Storage: NVMe SSD 2: Crucial P310 1TB

I thought it’d be great to have three of them and a separate storage network with a 10Gbps switch in the long run. But for now, this one will do.

Proxmox VE initial configuration

I created a script for my Proxmox VE initial configuration, which you can find in my GitLab script-collection repository.

The script handles the following tasks:

  • Checks if it’s a Proxmox VE or a Proxmox Backup server
  • Removes the enterprise subscription notice that appears after login
  • Modifies apt to use non-enterprise sources
  • Adds my NAS share
  • Pulls a separate backup script and schedules it with crontab

The backup script saves the Proxmox SQLite3 database, and it can also be used to restore the configuration from an SQL dump file. You can also find this script on my GitLab script-collection repository.

Proxmox Datacenter Manager (Alpha)

So, I’d literally just finished setting up my new MS-01 when Proxmox announced an Alpha for Proxmox Datacenter Manager. They also put out a Roadmap for PDM.

It was perfect timing, because I’d been thinking about creating a cluster to make it easier to move my VMs around, but I also wanted to shut down my old Intel NUC when I’m not using it.

In the bottom line, I installed Proxmox Datacenter Manager, which is pretty similar to installing Proxmox VE or Proxmox Backup server. I connected my two Proxmox VE hosts as remote nodes, and now I can migrate my virtual machines through the PDM dashboard. The installation and configuration process was pretty straightforward. It’s still in the Alpha stage, but I’m excited to see how it’ll develop.

Here are a few screenshots:
Proxmox Datacenter Manager - Alpha - Dashboard Proxmox Datacenter Manager - Alpha - Dashboard

PDM - Adding a remote node Adding a remote node in PDM

PDM - Migrating a virtual machine Migrating a virtual machine via PDM

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