Conversion from OMV to Proxmox (Questions)

[fbeye]

Hello

So currently I am running 2 servers [separate hardware] but am leaning towards going all Prox.
My question is this… Currently I have 12 drives in a Hardware Raid (HPE Proliant DL380 Gen 10) at 30 TB. In OMV it was set as EXT4. This I do not want to lose (data). I’m assuming because Hardware Raid, the Raid will hold but what do I do in Prox to mount/utilize as EXT4 and not lose data? Or does the HD already have encoded EXT4 and Prox simply picks it up as such and can immediately use it?
I know may be stupid question but I’ll risk that and not risk the data. A so also, permissions are OS based so I’d need to create a user as I did on OMV to be able to read/wrote (not) as root. Thats my HW question.
As far as software goes, On my Windows I mounted said drive via SAMBA, does Proxmox offer same? My meaning is, I want to offer/have/host the said drive on Proxmox core, not under a VM, I feel that would be redundant…
Which goes to my 2nd Software question… I am planning on using (many many) Docker containers and VM’s. As far as the VM’s go, I have another 6 Drives in HPE Hardware RAID @ 8 TB which will get utilized, but the Containers will all be using the 27 TB Drive for its purposes, so not sure, can I install/run Docker on Proxmox core or would it be safer to create a VM solely for Docker and #1 mount the Proxmox 27TB as NFS inside the VM or #2 Pass through the 27 TB to that 1 VM that hosts Docker and have it all in there, but I feel I’d lose the ext4 etc.

A lot of questions but it is a HUGE move and these are my most critical concerns.

This is home use. I am running opnsense as router/firewall and do have a legit (to my belief) firewall rule set and block all and allow only what I want, so I myself thought I could just run Docker/containers ON Proxmox, not under a VM.

Sorry! Bear with me. Im just nervous 8)

 

[Dunuin]

Or does the HD already have encoded EXT4 and Prox simply picks it up as such and can immediately use it?

No, you will have to mount it via fstab/autofs/systemd from the CLI.

I know may be stupid question but I’ll risk that and not risk the data.

Raid is no backup. You should always have a proper backup of data you care about. With backups its not really a risk, just very annoying to restore 30TB of data...

As far as software goes, On my Windows I mounted said drive via SAMBA, does Proxmox offer same?

No, Proxmox is not a NAS. It doesn't offer any NAS features. If you want something like a SMB server you will have to manually install it and set it up via CLI. Is that HW raid a raid card? In that case, it might make sense to create an OMV VM and PCI passthrough the raid card into that OMV VM. Then it's like before just that your OMV is now virtualized.

can I install/run Docker on Proxmox core

PVE isn't supporting docker. You can run docker on the PVe host, but again...you will have to install and set it up manually via CLI. Recommended way is to run docker containers in a VM.

 

[fbeye]

Hey there

All very good details. I indeed did not mean that I intended Raid as a backup… Of the Important stuff I do have in rsync with another server, I only meant if I did do this transition, how would I keep it [data] so I would t need to worry about that, but point taken.

Well I was hoping to not really classify the situation as a NAS solution but really just wanting to run SMB or NFS without having to do the “extra” stuff such as again install OMV to server SMB/NFS, but again I get your meaning.

I too thought the same thing about running Docker in its own VM to keep it separate from the Prox but figured I’d ask… I have no issues with running behind a VM.
In my situation (unless this is common in general) is my Raid drive would be the data for all the various things my docker containers are doing and what not. This whole endeavor is to separate myself from OMV so I really do wanna OMV as a VM, so maybe I’ll just set up a share or something on the VM that is running the docker setup. I suppose as you said I’ll have to pass through… yeah it is the Proliant Server RAID Card I can’t recall specific card but it’s a legit good card. Interesting, pass the card itself through? I suppose that would give complete control over it… but you also mentioned that with an OMV scenario… gah. Too much to think about.
I don’t know how confident I am in my abilities to pass through a raid card and then figure out how that would work in a VM, but you gave me a LOT to think anout

Thank you

 

[fbeye]

No, you will have to mount it via fstab/autofs/systemd from the CLI.

Raid is no backup. You should always have a proper backup of data you care about. With backups its not really a risk, just very annoying to restore 30TB of data...


No, Proxmox is not a NAS. It doesn't offer any NAS features. If you want something like a SMB server you will have to manually install it and set it up via CLI. Is that HW raid a raid card? In that case, it might make sense to create an OMV VM and PCI passthrough the raid card into that OMV VM. Then it's like before just that your OMV is now virtualized.


PVE isn't supporting docker. You can run docker on the PVe host, but again...you will have to install and set it up manually via CLI. Recommended way is to run docker containers in a VM.

Just wanted to clarify one thing… Correct, the RAID is a HW Raid via a Card built into the MB.. It’s an HPE add-on card, but also standard. Being that the RAID is already created, and currently (by OMV ext4), it would be wise to pass through the actual card and not just the drive Proxmox would see? Assuming Proxmox would see it as “a” drive.

 

[Dunuin]

PVE should see it as a single ext4 formated drive. But then you would have to work with bind-mounts for LXCs or virtfs for VMs or you would need to run a local SMB/NFS server on the host if your guests should be able to do anything with the existing data on it. Thats a lot of work on the CLI to manage/share your data. So yes, I personally would pass that raid card into an OMV VM so its less annoying to administrate your server and less prone to user error.

 

[_gabriel]

fwiw :
proxmox ve need to be installed on another disk, like ssd connected to internal sata or usb enclosure to boot.
then pve can passthrough the raid card to the omv vm.
all drives connected to the raid will be only available for omv vm like your current baremetal setup.
other LXCs/VMs cannot directly use drives behind the raid card.

 

[fbeye]

fwiw :
proxmox ve need to be installed on another disk, like ssd connected to internal sata or usb enclosure to boot.
then pve can passthrough the raid card to the omv vm.
all drives connected to the raid will be only available for omv vm like your current baremetal setup.
other LXCs/VMs cannot directly use drives behind the raid card.

Roger that. Said system has a 800G nvme I use for boot/os [OMV in this case] and then RAID 1 30 TB is using HPE Proliant HW Card and RAID 2 8TB is using OMV Software Raid; Both ext4. The software raid is a loss, it is what it is, I will possibly move it as well to HPE HW Raid.

In this new system, I will install Prox as core and use nvme as OS, I will use 8TB Drive on core and then allocate various sizes to different VM's or LXC Containers and I will passthrough the 30TB to a VM running OMV for NAS purposes... Ah damn I can't, cause if I pass through CARD I can use the 8TBB, so the 8TB will again need to be a drive software raid in Prox, then I can pass data to various VM/LXC.

Would this suffice?

 

[fbeye]

PVE should see it as a single ext4 formated drive. But then you would have to work with bind-mounts for LXCs or virtfs for VMs or you would need to run a local SMB/NFS server on the host if your guests should be able to do anything with the existing data on it. Thats a lot of work on the CLI to manage/share your data. So yes, I personally would pass that raid card into an OMV VM so its less annoying to administrate your server and less prone to user error.

I was about to start this scenario but wanted to verify.
After installing Proxmox on my NVME and booting and verifying everything works, suich as enabling the ability to pass-through etc, I install the OMV VM, but not yet boot it. Under Hardware [For VM] , I would add/pass-through the HPE P420i (I think, I really don't have exact model) and then boot up OMV... OMV should auto see the RAID Card (as it did on bare metal) and then once OMV is Installed, should simply be able to mount the drive which has already been established as EXT4?

 

[Dunuin]

Yes, but not sure if the OMV webUI will allow you to mount an already formatted partition or if it requires you to use empty disks (like PVe, TrueNAS and so on would do).

 

[fbeye]

Hey both of you... About 8 months ago my current OMV crashed, formatted etc lost everything on OS Drive, when I re-installed OMV it did indeed see the existing/prior RAID EXT4 and simply allowed me to mount... I was banking on that to essentially happen again, OMV would see it and I could mount is as a disk.
As far as old omv boot, that's the only downside... #1 I truly do not mind losing my existing OMV install, but regardless, I am be RE using that OMV NVME to install Proxmox onto, so I would need to install OMV in a VM.. Unless I miss what you are suggesting.
Essentially, nothing from my existing setup will be carried onto the new one except the RAID EXT4 Hardware.. As the existing OS drive will be erased for Prox.