Proxmox Virtual Environment (Proxmox VE) is an open-source server virtualization platform that combines two virtualization technologies: KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) for virtual machines and LXC (Linux Containers) for container-based virtualization.

Here I just want to quickly go over the main stuff Proxmox is good at, a get a few points of comparison with a few other solutions which I use (kvm/qemu) or would like to use (incus).

What is Proxmox?

Proxmox VE is a complete, enterprise-ready virtualization management solution built on Debian Linux. It provides a web-based interface that allows you to easily manage virtual machines, containers, storage, networking, and high availability clusters.

Unlike building your own virtualization stack from individual components, Proxmox offers:

  • Integrated web-based management interface
  • Built-in clustering capabilities
  • Comprehensive backup and restore functionality
  • Role-based access control
  • API for automation and integration

Proxmox vs KVM/QEMU/libvirt

KVM/QEMU/libvirt Stack

KVM is the Linux kernel’s virtualization module, QEMU provides hardware emulation, and libvirt offers a management layer. Together, they form a powerful virtualization foundation, but require significant configuration:

  • Management: Primarily command-line based with virt-manager for GUI
  • Clustering: Manual setup required, often with Pacemaker/Corosync
  • Storage: Managed separately with tools like LVM, ZFS, or Ceph
  • Networking: Configured manually via bridge-utils or netplan

Proxmox VE

Proxmox builds upon this stack but adds crucial management features:

  • Web Interface: Intuitive GUI for all operations
  • Built-in Clustering: Simple node addition with integrated management
  • Integrated Storage: Support for multiple storage types with GUI management
  • Networking: Visual network configuration with bridges, bonds, and VLANs

Key Difference: Proxmox provides an integrated, batteries-included approach versus the DIY nature of raw KVM/QEMU/libvirt.

Proxmox vs Incus (LXD)

Incus (formerly LXD) focuses on container and virtual machine management with a different approach:

  • Containers First: Incus emphasizes system containers using LXC
  • Image-Based: Uses images from Linux distribution vendors
  • Command-Line Focused: Primarily managed via CLI with limited web interfaces
  • Clustering: Supports clustering but with different architecture

Proxmox Advantages:

  • Unified management of both VMs and containers
  • More comprehensive web interface
  • Built-in backup solutions
  • Enterprise features like live migration and high availability

Key Features of Proxmox

1. Clustering and High Availability

Proxmox makes setting up clusters incredibly simple:

  • Add nodes with a few clicks in the web interface
  • Integrated Corosync cluster communication
  • Live migration of VMs between nodes
  • High availability with automatic failover

2. Storage Management

Proxmox supports multiple storage types through a unified interface:

  • Local Storage: Directory, LVM, ZFS
  • Network Storage: NFS, CIFS/SMB, iSCSI
  • Distributed Storage: Ceph, GlusterFS
  • ZFS Integration: Native support with compression, snapshots, and replication

3. Backup and Restore

Comprehensive backup solutions built-in:

  • Full and incremental backups
  • Scheduling via web interface
  • Storage selection for backups
  • Fast restore capabilities
  • Backup verification

4. Ansible Integration

Proxmox provides full API access enabling automation:

 1
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

- name: Create a new VM
  community.general.proxmox_kvm:
    api_host: "pve-cluster"
    api_user: "root@pam"
    api_password: "secret"
    name: "ansible-vm"
    node: "pve-node1"
    memory: 2048
    cores: 2
    sockets: 1
    net: "virtio,bridge=vmbr0"
    scsihw: "virtio-scsi-pci"
    disks:
      - size: 20
        storage: "local-lvm"
        type: "scsi"

5. Software-Defined Networking

Flexible network configuration:

  • Bridge networking
  • VLAN support
  • Bonding/teaming of network interfaces
  • Open vSwitch integration
  • Firewall management

6. User and Permission Management

Comprehensive access control:

  • Role-based access control (RBAC)
  • Integration with LDAP/Active Directory
  • Permission inheritance
  • Audit logging

Getting Started with Proxmox

Installation

  1. Download the ISO from Proxmox website
  2. Create a bootable USB drive
  3. Install on bare metal (recommended) or as a VM for testing
  4. Access the web interface at https://your-server-ip:8006

Basic Setup

1
2
3
4
5
6

# First login via console
# Configure network if needed
nano /etc/network/interfaces

# Update package repositories
apt update && apt dist-upgrade

When to Choose Proxmox

Choose Proxmox when:

  • You need an all-in-one virtualization solution
  • Enterprise features like HA and live migration are important
  • You prefer web-based management over command-line
  • You want integrated backup solutions
  • Clustering is a requirement

Consider alternatives when:

  • You need lightweight container-only deployment (Incus)
  • You prefer building custom solutions from components
  • You have specific requirements not met by Proxmox

Wrapping Up

At the end of the day, Proxmox VE brings together the best of both worlds - the raw power of KVM/QEMU virtualization with the ease of a polished management platform. You get all the flexibility of open-source virtualization without the headache of piecing everything together yourself.

The built-in clustering, storage management, and backup features mean you can stop worrying about infrastructure and start actually using it. Whether you’re tinkering in a home lab or running production workloads, Proxmox is a pretty decent solution that just work.

The freedom of configuring KVM/QEMU/libvirt by hand isn’t actually that much of a benefit - in the end you end up replicating the features that come out of the box on proxmox.

Incus still look cool but I would wait before jumping, it’s not that mainstream and need to give it a few years to see how maintainability and the community will evolve.