Proxmox Homelab Cluster
Three-node Proxmox cluster on Dell OptiPlex 7040s — VM hosting, Traefik + Caddy reverse proxy, and self-hosted services for Heff properties.
Projektschwerpunkt
Software
Key Features
Three-node quorum cluster
Two-tier reverse proxy
Self-hosted service catalog
Scope of work
Provide owned infrastructure for side projects (Stagea platform, shop, forums, media) without surprise VPS egress bills:
- Cluster three used OptiPlex 7040 SFF nodes with Proxmox VE
- Carve VMs/containers for LubeLogger, Manyfold, Matrix, photo apps, and dev sandboxes
- Design Traefik (edge) + Caddy (origin) reverse-proxy chain for TLS and routing
- Document backup, migration, and failure modes for single-node loss
- Keep RAM/CPU budgets honest for homelab workloads
Out of scope: geo-redundant DR, 24/7 NOC staffing, Ceph storage cluster.
Timeline
| Phase | Window | Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware procurement | Q4 2025 | Matched 7040 nodes + SSD layout |
| Cluster bootstrap | Q1 2026 | Corosync quorum, local-lvm pools |
| Edge proxy | Q1 2026 | Traefik on dedicated VM — ACME, routing |
| Origin proxy | Mar 2026 | Caddy per service VM — simpler site blocks |
| Service migrations | Mar 2026 | Stagea, shop, Matrix, media subdomains live |
Stack & BOM (hardware)
| Item | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dell OptiPlex 7040 SFF | 3 | 6th-gen i5 class, 16–32 GB RAM each |
| SSD (boot) | 3 | Proxmox OS + local-lvm |
| SSD/HDD (data) | 3 | VM disks — no Ceph budget |
| Managed switch | 1 | Flat lab network; optional NIC separation |
Stack & BOM (software)
| Layer | Components |
|---|---|
| Hypervisor | Proxmox VE 8.x cluster |
| Edge | Traefik — TLS termination, host routing |
| Origin | Caddy — per-VM site configs |
| Workloads | Docker stacks, Matrix, static sites |
| Observability | Node-level logs; no full APM |
Deliverables
- Three-node Proxmox cluster with quorum
- Documented Traefik + Caddy split (why two layers)
- VMs for primary Heff services
- Backup procedure for VM disks and configs
- Automated off-site backup rotation (in progress)
Outcomes
- Unified hosting for properties previously scattered across ad-hoc VPS trials
- Predictable failure domain — lose one node, migrate VMs, accept reduced redundancy
- Reverse-proxy design trades single-file Caddy simplicity for clear edge vs. origin boundaries
Operational constraints
- RAM is the bottleneck — overcommit until reality arrives
- Used SFF boxes are quiet but not datacenter-redundant PSUs
- TLS renewals and DNS must stay aligned with Traefik entrypoints
Build-Log & Kontext
Scope, Zeitplan und Stückliste stehen hier. Für Entscheidungen und längeren Kontext den verlinkten Blogbeitrag lesen.
Blogbeitrag lesenCompleted on: 22. März 2026