Proxmox Virtual Environment basic setup

Introduction

ProxmoxVE is a complete open-source virtualization management solution for servers. It is based on KVM and container-virtualization and manages virtual machines, storage, virtualized networks, and HA Clustering. It is an open source alternative to Vmware Esxi Server. It is stable, production ready, managable via web interface. Paid support is also available.

Features

1. KVM and Container

Powerful and Lightweight- takes minimum resource from servers still robust.

Open Source - gplv3 licenced, code available in GIT, Community Forum, Bugtacker.

Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) – can run multiple vm unmodified Windows or Linux seamlessly.

Container-based virtualization – OpenVZ is used to create multiple secured isolated linux container

Live Migration – migrate running vms from one physical host to another physical host without any downtime.

2. Central Management

Unique Multi-master Design – complete web-gui provide full access to vms, containers as well as clusters to manage proxmox VE.

Proxmox Cluster File System (pmxcfs) – Proxmox uses a database driven filesystem named pmxcfs for storing configuration files.

Rich app Management Tool - Java-script based framework (Ext JS 4) helps to control most of the activities on each single node.

Multiple Authentication Linux PAM, built-in proxmox ve aothentication server, MS-ADS and LDAP are supported.

3. Backup and Restore - live Backups via LVM snapshot , Full backups of OpenVZ containers and KVM Vms can possible, supports multiple schedules and backup storages

4. Proxmox VE High Availability Cluster - based on Liunx HA Technology, no single point of failure,GUI for manage KVM and OpenVZ HA settings.

5. Networking - supports both bridge and NAT mode networking for VMs as well as containers

6. Flexible Storage – both local and network storages are supported

Network storage types supported

LVM Group (network backing with iSCSI targets)
iSCSI target
NFS Share
Ceph RBD
Direct to iSCSI LUN

Local storage types supported

LVM Group (local backing devices like block devices, FC devices, DRBD, etc.)
Directory (storage on existing filesystem)

Step-by-step setup

Minimum System Requirment

1. CPU 64 Bit Intel or AMD

2. RAM 1 GB

3. Harddisk 50 GB

4. NIC 1

Step 1. Get Proxmoxve from http://www.proxmox.com/

Make CD from the image. Put the CD in CD/DVD Drive. You get this interface. Press enter to continue.

Step 2. Accept the Licence Agreement. Press Agreed to continue

Step 3 Installation of Proxmox in Harddisk. Press Next to continue

Step 4 Location and Timezone selection. Select Proper location,Timezone and Keyboard Layout.Click Next to continue

Step 5. Set Administration Password and E-Mail Address

Step 6. Network Configuration. Provide Hostname(FQDN),IPAddress,Netmask,Gateway, DNS Server

Step 7. Installation process is going on .

Step 8. After successful installation this screen will appear. Press Reboot to launch your proxmox VE

After rebooting and removing CD from CD/DVD ROM Drive. You will see this screen

Login to Management Console. After starting Proxmox Server, you will get this console. Use root cradential to login

Proxmox GUI Interface- You can also login to Proxmox via web interface. Use root cradential to login

First interface of Proxmox (here two servers are running in cluster mode)

Reference:- www.proxmox.com