Big News from Proxmox Server Solutions

Proxmox Server Solutions surprised us all with an exciting announcement: the alpha release of Proxmox Datacenter Manager (PDM). Designed to provide a centralized overview of nodes and clusters, PDM enables basic management tasks—such as migrating virtual guests—without cluster network requirements. This feels like a significant step forward for Proxmox, particularly for those of us accustomed to centralized management solutions like VMware’s vCenter. In this blog post, we’ll dive into what PDM offers, explore its features, and guide you through setting it up using an LXC container.

What is Proxmox Datacenter Manager (PDM)?

PDM is a fresh approach to managing your Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) infrastructure. It consolidates management across nodes and clusters into one interface, giving users a high-level overview of their systems while offering tools for basic administrative tasks. From its sleek dashboard to detailed workload insights, PDM is clearly designed with usability and scalability in mind. While this is still an alpha release, it hints at Proxmox’s vision of centralizing its ecosystem for a more user-friendly experience.

First Look: PDM Dashboard and Features

Upon logging into PDM, you’re greeted by a clean and visually rich dashboard. Here’s what stands out:

Key Dashboard Components

• Status Cards: Provide a snapshot of your remotes, nodes, running/stopped VMs, and LXC containers.
• Performance Metrics: Displays the highest CPU and memory usage across VMs and nodes.
• Theme Options: Choose between desktop and crisp themes with light, dark, and dynamic modes.

Feature Highlights

• Configuration Management: Manage time zones, DNS settings, and network interfaces.
• User and Access Control: Add users, set up two-factor authentication (2FA), and manage certificates, including support for Let’s Encrypt.
• Remote Management: Add and manage Proxmox nodes or clusters.
• System Insights: Access syslog, tasks, and repositories for updates.
• Workload Details: View detailed statistics, resource utilization, and historical data for individual workloads.

Setting Up Proxmox Datacenter Manager

You can deploy PDM either via an ISO or, as we’ll demonstrate, using an LXC container. Follow these steps to get started.

Step 1: Create the LXC Container

1. Create Container: In your PVE host, click Create CT and set the hostname and root password.
2. Select Template: Use the Debian Bookworm template, as recommended by Proxmox.
3. Allocate Resources:
   • Storage: At least 8GB (we suggest 16GB).
   • CPU: Minimum 2 cores (use 4 for better performance).
   • RAM: Minimum 2GB (we recommend 4GB).
4. Network Configuration: Assign the container to your desired network. For testing purposes, DHCP works well.

Step 2: Prepare the Container

1. Update the OS: Run the following command to update and clean up the system:

   apt update && apt dist-upgrade -y && apt autoremove -y && apt autoclean -y && reboot

2. Add PDM Repository: Add the PDM apt repository.

   echo 'deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pdm bookworm pdm-test' >/etc/apt/sources.list.d/pdm-test.list

3. Add the PDM Release Key: Download the release key.

   wget https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg -O /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg

4. Install PDM: Update your package lists and install PDM:

   apt update && apt install proxmox-datacenter-manager -y

Step 3: Access PDM

1. Find the Container’s IP: Use the ip a command to find its IP address.
2. Log In: Open a browser and navigate to https://<container-ip>:8443. Log in using the root credentials.

Adding Nodes or Clusters to PDM

To centralize your management:

1. Navigate to Remotes and click Add Proxmox VE.
2. Enter the FQDN or IP of your node or cluster.
3. For self-signed certificates, paste the certificate fingerprint from your PVE host.
   1. Open the web GUI for your PVE host.
   2. Navigate to the node in the left navigation pane
   3. In the right pane, under System, click on Certificates.
   4. In the far right pane you should see a list of your certificates on your PVE host, locate the certificate named ‘pve-ssl.pem‘ and double-click on it.
   5. Copy the SSL certificate (second in the list) and enter that fingerprint into the PDM certificate fingerprint section. Note: this is only necessary if you use a self-signed certificate on your PVE host!
4. Click ‘Connect.’
5. Provide login credentials and enter a name for this remote – If it’s a single node, I recommend calling it the node’s name – if it’s a cluster, name it after the cluster.
6. Leave the API token the same, or change it – either works and click ‘Scan.’
7. Review and confirm the added nodes or clusters. If you’re missing nodes, use ‘add’ to add them. If all is correct, click ‘Next’.
8. The final window is summary – click ‘Finish.’

Within minutes, your nodes and clusters will populate the dashboard, and you can begin managing them from PDM.

Looking Ahead: PDM Roadmap

Proxmox has an ambitious roadmap for PDM, with planned features including:

• Enhanced resource overviews and remote management.
• Configuration management for updates, backups, and firewalls.
• SDN integration for inter-cluster networking.
• Advanced search and error handling.
• Integration with Proxmox Backup Server and Mail Gateway.

Final Thoughts

PDM’s alpha release is a promising start toward unifying Proxmox management. For former VMware users, PDM feels like the beginning of a vCenter alternative within the Proxmox ecosystem. While the alpha is still in its infancy, the potential is undeniable. If Proxmox follows through on its roadmap, PDM could transform the way users manage virtualization infrastructures.

What are your thoughts on Proxmox Datacenter Manager? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below!