Introduction
As a home lab grows, simply installing software directly onto physical machines quickly becomes difficult to manage.
Applications need different environments, testing becomes risky, and hardware resources are often underused.
The solution was to introduce virtualisation.
Proxmox became the foundation that allows Realm Labs to run multiple isolated systems on shared hardware while keeping everything organised and flexible.
Why Virtualisation?
Virtualisation allows one physical machine to run multiple virtual environments.
Instead of having separate computers for every task, resources can be shared between multiple systems.
The benefits include:
- Better hardware utilisation
- Easier testing
- Faster recovery
- Isolated environments
- Simple backups and snapshots
For a home lab, this provides an enterprise-style approach without requiring enterprise-level hardware.
Introducing Proxmox
Proxmox Virtual Environment is an open-source platform for running virtual machines and containers.
It combines:
- Virtual machine management
- Linux containers
- Storage management
- Networking
- Backup tools
- Web-based administration
This makes it an ideal platform for experimentation and self-hosting.
The Role of Proxmox in Realm Labs
Proxmox acts as the compute layer of the environment.
While Synology provides storage, Proxmox provides the processing power required to run services.
Typical workloads include:
- Linux servers
- Windows test machines
- Development environments
- Infrastructure services
Each system can operate independently while still communicating across the network.
Virtual Machines vs Containers
One of the advantages of Proxmox is supporting different types of workloads.
Virtual Machines
Virtual machines provide complete isolated operating systems.
Useful for:
- Windows environments
- Server operating systems
- Testing different platforms
Linux Containers
Containers are lightweight environments that share the host kernel.
Useful for:
- Small services
- Linux applications
- Efficient deployments
Choosing the right approach depends on what the service requires.
Storage Integration
Storage is a key part of virtualisation.
Proxmox environments require reliable storage for:
- Virtual machine disks
- Container data
- Backups
- Snapshots
Integrating with network storage allows the infrastructure to remain flexible and easier to maintain.
Networking
A virtualised environment requires careful network planning.
Proxmox networking allows virtual machines and containers to communicate with the wider home network while maintaining separation where required.
Good networking design makes future expansion much easier.
The Learning Process
Running Proxmox has provided experience with many concepts normally found in professional environments:
- Virtual networking
- Storage management
- Backup strategies
- Resource allocation
- System recovery
The ability to test ideas safely is one of the biggest benefits of having a virtual environment.
Future Improvements
Future plans for the Proxmox environment include:
- More virtual machines
- Improved monitoring
- Automated deployments
- Better backup routines
- Further integration with the wider home lab
Conclusion
Proxmox has transformed Realm Labs from a collection of individual systems into a flexible infrastructure platform.
It provides the foundation needed to experiment, learn and build new services without constantly rebuilding the underlying hardware.
Virtualisation is what allows the lab to keep growing.