What is Proxmox and how to create services in High Availability

Table of Contents

What is Proxmox? #

Proxmox Virtual Environment (VE) is an open-source platform for managing virtualization, offering support for both KVM-based virtual machines and LXC containers. It allows IT teams to create, deploy, and maintain virtualized workloads efficiently. The platform is highly extensible, with native support for clustering, backup, and storage integration, making it a top choice for enterprises and SMBs alike.

Key Features of Proxmox #

Full Virtualization and Containerization: Support for KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) and LXC (Linux Containers) enables flexible virtualization strategies.
Clustering: Multiple Proxmox nodes can be joined into a cluster for centralized management.
Storage Integration: Compatibility with a wide range of storage backends, including Ceph, ZFS, NFS, iSCSI, and shared directories.
High Availability (HA): Automatic failover for critical VMs and containers in the event of a node failure.
Backup and Restore: Integrated backup tools, including Proxmox Backup Server support.
Web-Based Management Interface: Intuitive UI for monitoring, provisioning, and managing resources.

High Availability in Proxmox #

High Availability (HA) is a system design approach ensuring minimal downtime by automatically migrating workloads from a failed node to a healthy one. Proxmox provides built-in HA capabilities when configured in a clustered environment, making it an excellent choice for critical services where uptime is essential.

How Does Proxmox HA Work? #

Proxmox HA leverages the clustering capabilities of multiple nodes. By enabling HA on specific VMs or containers, Proxmox ensures these workloads are automatically restarted on another node in the cluster if the original node fails. Key components of Proxmox HA include:

Corosync: Handles cluster communication and quorum voting.
PMXCFS (Proxmox Cluster File System): A distributed database that synchronizes configuration data across nodes.
HA Manager: Orchestrates the failover process for HA-enabled resources.

Creating a High Availability Service with Proxmox #

Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up an HA service using Proxmox VE:

1. Prepare Your Proxmox Cluster #

Before enabling HA, you need a functioning Proxmox cluster with at least three nodes to maintain quorum during failover scenarios.

Install Proxmox VE on each server node.

Join the nodes into a single cluster:

pvecm create my-cluster-name
pvecm add <IP of the master node>

Verify the cluster status:
```
pvecm status
```

2. Configure Shared Storage #

High Availability requires shared storage to ensure VMs or containers can be accessed by all nodes in the cluster. Proxmox supports various storage types, such as NFS, Ceph, or iSCSI. For example, to configure NFS storage:

Go to Datacenter > Storage > Add > NFS in the web interface.
Enter the NFS server details and mount point.
Assign the storage to your cluster.

3. Enable HA for Virtual Machines or Containers #

Navigate to the VM or container you want to enable for HA.
Click on HA in the VM/Container settings.
Toggle Enabled, select the desired HA Group, and configure priorities and failover policies.
Save your settings.

4. Test Your HA Setup #

Simulate a node failure to verify that the HA service functions as expected:

Use the pmxcfs tool to manually stop a node:
```
systemctl stop pve-cluster
```
Observe the HA Manager automatically migrate the workload to another node in the cluster.

5. Monitor and Maintain #

Monitor the health of your HA cluster using the Proxmox web interface or CLI tools like ha-manager and pvecm:

ha-manager status

Regular updates and backups of both Proxmox and the VMs/containers are critical for long-term reliability.

Benefits of Proxmox High Availability #

Reduced Downtime: Automatic failover ensures minimal disruption to services.
Cost-Effectiveness: Open-source nature eliminates licensing costs while offering enterprise-grade features.
Scalability: Easily add nodes and resources to your cluster as needed.
Flexibility: Support for a variety of virtualization and storage technologies.

Deploy RELIANOID Load Balancer in Proxmox #

To deploy a RELIANOID load balancer in Proxmox, follow these steps to ensure high availability and enhanced application security. This process assumes familiarity with Proxmox virtualization, RELIANOID load balancers, and basic network configurations.

Prepare the Proxmox Environment #

Ensure Proxmox Host Is Ready #

Verify that Proxmox is installed and up to date:
apt update && apt full-upgrade

Ensure adequate resources (CPU, RAM, storage) are available to support RELIANOID virtual machines.

Configure a network bridge in Proxmox to provide the RELIANOID VM with external and internal network connectivity: Go to Datacenter > Node > Network in the Proxmox Web GUI. Add a new bridge (e.g., vmbr0) linked to the physical NIC for external traffic and optionally vmbr1 for internal communications.

Download RELIANOID ISO or Image #

Obtain the RELIANOID ISO image or Virtual Template. Upload the ISO or Virtual Teamplate to Proxmox: Navigate to Datacenter > Storage > ISO Images. Upload the ISO file to your desired storage location.

Create a Virtual Machine for RELIANOID Load Balancer #

VM Creation #

Go to Datacenter > Node > Create VM. Set the following:

Name: Provide a meaningful name (e.g., RELIANOID-LB).
OS Type: Select “Debian” or “Other” or “Linux 5.x and later kernel”.
Boot Disk: Choose a high-performance SSD-backed storage for the virtual disk.

Allocate Resources #

CPU: Allocate at least 2 vCPUs.
Memory: Assign 4-8 GB of RAM, depending on traffic expectations.
Disk: Allocate a minimum of 20 GB for the RELIANOID image.
Network: Attach the VM to vmbr0 for external access. Optionally attach to vmbr1 for internal communication if dual-network architecture is planned.

Mount the ISO #

In the CD/DVD section, mount the RELIANOID ISO.

Boot and Install RELIANOID #

Start the VM and boot from the mounted ISO.
Follow RELIANOID’s installation instructions included in the ISO downloadable file, ensuring: Proper network configurations during setup (assign static IPs if required). Admin credentials are securely configured.

Post-Installation Configuration #

Initial Access #

Access the RELIANOID web interface:

Open a browser and navigate to the IP address of the RELIANOID load balancer (e.g., https://:444).
Log in using the admin credentials set during installation.

Configure High Availability (Optional) #

Deploy a second RELIANOID VM for redundancy. Use the built-in clustering feature at System > Cluster to create an HA pair:

Navigate to Clustering in the RELIANOID interface.
Define a virtual IP (VIP) shared by both nodes to handle failover automatically.

Configure Security Features #

Set up SSL/TLS termination:

Upload SSL certificates via the RELIANOID interface.
Enable TLS v1.3 for stronger encryption.

Enable WAF (Web Application Firewall):

Configure WAF rules to mitigate application-layer attacks like SQL injection or XSS.

Implement traffic filtering:

Block or whitelist IP ranges to prevent unauthorized access.
Enable geolocation-based filtering if required.

Configure Load Balancing #

Add your application backend servers: Define server pools with health checks (HTTP/S, TCP, ICMP) to ensure only healthy servers receive traffic.
Select a load balancing algorithm: Options include round-robin, least connections, or custom algorithms based on your requirements.

Testing and Optimization #

Perform Health Checks #

Test application availability using simulated traffic.
Verify that backend servers failover correctly during outages.

Monitor Performance #

Use RELIANOID’s built-in monitoring tools to track metrics like response time, throughput, and error rates.
Set up alerts for anomalies.

Harden the Proxmox Host #

Enable firewalls on Proxmox and secure it using tools like fail2ban.
Regularly patch both Proxmox and RELIANOID for security updates.

Maintain and Scale #

Add more resources or VMs to the RELIANOID cluster as traffic demands grow.
Integrate with SIEM solutions for enhanced logging and security analysis.
Regularly review and update WAF rules and load balancing configurations to adapt to changing requirements.

Conclusion #

Proxmox VE is a powerful and flexible virtualization platform that excels in providing High Availability services for critical workloads. By leveraging its built-in clustering and HA features, IT professionals can ensure their applications remain operational even during hardware failures.

Whether you’re managing a small business or a large enterprise, Proxmox’s HA capabilities can help you achieve the reliability and performance your organization demands. With proper planning and execution, Proxmox HA transforms your infrastructure into a resilient and scalable solution for modern IT challenges.