The Infrastructure Behind the Lab
Realm Labs runs on a real self-hosted environment built around virtualisation, network storage, containers, local services, automation and remote access.
This page brings the core infrastructure together and links into the guides, builds and troubleshooting notes that document how it all works.
What Makes Up the Lab
Virtualisation with Proxmox
Proxmox as the Foundation
Proxmox provides the virtualisation layer used to run virtual machines, infrastructure services and lab workloads while keeping the environment flexible and easy to experiment with.
Virtual Machines
Windows and Linux systems provide isolated environments for testing, administration, services and infrastructure experimentation.
Storage Integration
Network storage is integrated into the virtual environment to provide centralised data, shared storage and persistent application volumes.
Synology at the Centre
Synology NAS Backbone
Centralised storage for files, infrastructure data, shared services and self-hosted application volumes.
Explore the NAS →Moving the NAS to a New Static IP
Tracking down DNS, domain, NFS and application references after a seemingly simple IP address change.
Read the notes →Persistent Container Storage
Keeping application data centralised and persistent while containers remain easy to rebuild and replace.
Explore Self Hosting →The Backbone of Realm Labs
Designing the Home Network
The switching, addressing, DNS and network layout that connects the physical and virtual parts of the lab.
Explore the network →Secure Remote Access with WireGuard
Building private remote access into the homelab without exposing internal services directly to the internet.
Explore WireGuard →Understanding the Infrastructure
Prometheus and Grafana provide visibility into the systems and networking that keep Realm Labs running.
Explore monitoring →Active Directory in the Home Lab
A Real Windows Domain at Home
Active Directory provides a realistic Windows environment for testing Group Policy, deployment, authentication and administration across domain-joined systems.
Group Policy
Policies are used to configure clients, deploy applications and test the same administration techniques found in larger environments.
Software Deployment
MSI deployment and startup scripts make the domain a practical testbed for application rollout and troubleshooting.