disk setup confusion (where is the actual proxmox install located?)

[fabalabes]

Hi.

I have been using proxmox for a while now, but I still get confused when setting up my storage.

Scenario A:
I am currently setting up a homeserver for a friend who wants to experiment in a homelab.

Available storage options:

• 500gb pcie nvme
• 1 TB SATA SSD
• 4 TB HDD

This setup is for home use with regular backups on an external storage.

My plan is to use

the nvme drive for:

1. proxmox itself
2. storage for templates and ISOs
3. additional local backups of the VMs and CTs

the SATA SSD for:

1. Container and disk images

the HDD for:

1. storage for a fileserver on the node (personal media, which is also backed up on an external storage - this is only to reduce wear on the external storage and for local access on the VMs and CTs)

If I use the default settings in the installer it will use EXT4 on this single nvme drive and create the following storage options:

• local (directory with 100GB space)
• local-lvm (using the rest of the available space).

Scenario B:

Is similar, but I have 2 SATA disks for the proxmox install and 2 SATA disks for the VM/CT storage and 1 4TB sata SSD for media.

I have created ZFS pools with mirroring but the same issue with the unused local-zfs storage:







My questions:

1. how to get rid of local-lvm (or local-zfs in scenario B) and use this space as a local backup destination
2. best practice to use the second single SATA disk (scenario A) for container and disk images (create LVM on second disk? - just use ext4?)
3. where exactly is the actual proxmox install located?

I am sry if these are absolute basic questions, but I somehow never got the hang of it...

 

[LnxBil]

how to get rid of local-lvm (or local-zfs in scenario B) and use this space as a local backup destination

ZFS does not use any space if you don't store anything there.

best practice to use the second single SATA disk (scenario A) for container and disk images (create LVM on second disk? - just use ext4?)

Best practice is to NOT USE ANY OF THOSE CHEAP SSDs. Period. Full stop. You will have fun with those and they'll probably die soon.
Best practice does in general not exist if you're not providing any information about redundancy etc. What you explained above will work. If it fits your needs, fine. It would not fit mine (bad choice of SSD and no redundancy).

where exactly is the actual proxmox install located?

On the ZFS. Please familiarize yourself with zfs, e.g. learn how to read the ouput of zfs list.