Proxmox Virtualization Course

Lesson 1 • Proxmox VE Licensing and Community Resources

Explains the open-source model, subscription tiers, and enterprise vs. community repositories. Students can configure the correct repository for their deployment context.

Lesson 2 • Hardware Requirements and Compatibility

Defines minimum and recommended hardware specs for Proxmox VE deployment. Students can assess whether target hardware supports KVM and IOMMU features.

Lesson 3 • Introduction to Virtualization Concepts

Covers hypervisor types, containers vs. VMs, and why virtualization matters. Establishes the conceptual baseline needed for all subsequent Proxmox topics.

Lesson 1 • Preparing Installation Media

Covers downloading the official ISO, verifying checksums, and writing bootable media. Ensures students start with a verified, uncorrupted installer before touching hardware.

Lesson 2 • Initial System Configuration

Covers post-install tasks: hostname, DNS, NTP, and repository setup. Connects these settings to stable cluster operation and accurate log timestamps.

Lesson 3 • Navigating the Proxmox Web Interface

Introduces the web UI layout, node summary, and resource tree. Students can locate key management areas and perform basic operations without CLI assistance.

Lesson 4 • Basic CLI and Shell Access

Introduces essential shell commands and the pvesh CLI tool for API interaction. Prepares students for automation and troubleshooting tasks in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • Local Storage Backends

Covers directory, LVM, and LVM-Thin storage types with configuration steps. Students can provision local storage for VM disks and ISO images.

Lesson 2 • Ceph Distributed Storage Overview

Introduces Ceph as a hyper-converged storage option integrated into Proxmox. Students understand Ceph's role before the advanced cluster chapter covers full deployment.

Lesson 3 • Proxmox Storage Architecture

Explains storage pools, content types, and how Proxmox abstracts backends. Provides the conceptual model students need before configuring any storage type.

Lesson 4 • ZFS Storage Integration

Introduces ZFS pools, datasets, and Proxmox-specific ZFS features like snapshots. Students can create and manage ZFS storage for production workloads.

Lesson 1 • Configuring Bridges and Bonds

Walks through creating bridges and bonded interfaces via web UI and CLI. Students produce redundant, high-throughput network configurations for production hosts.

Lesson 2 • Open vSwitch Integration

Covers installing and configuring Open vSwitch as an alternative to Linux bridges. Students evaluate OVS capabilities for advanced flow control and tunneling.

Lesson 3 • Software-Defined Networking with Proxmox SDN

Introduces Proxmox SDN zones, VNets, and VXLAN overlays for multi-node networking. Students create isolated tenant networks without physical switch reconfiguration.

Lesson 4 • VLAN Configuration and Segmentation

Implements VLAN tagging on bridges and VM/container interfaces for traffic isolation. Students segment management, storage, and VM traffic onto separate VLANs.

Lesson 1 • QEMU Guest Agent Integration

Explains the QEMU guest agent role in enabling host-guest communication. Students install and verify the agent to enable graceful shutdowns and IP reporting.

Lesson 2 • VM Disk Management

Covers disk formats, resizing, moving, and import/export operations. Students can manage VM disk lifecycle from creation through migration.

Lesson 3 • Creating Virtual Machines

Covers the VM creation wizard, hardware settings, and OS installation process. Students produce a running VM with correct CPU, RAM, and disk configuration.

Lesson 4 • Virtual Machine Hardware Configuration

Explores advanced hardware options including network adapters, display, and USB passthrough. Students can match hardware configuration to workload requirements.

Lesson 1 • Deploying LXC Containers

Covers template download, container creation wizard, and first-boot configuration. Students deploy a functional container from a community template.

Lesson 2 • Container Snapshots and Backups

Teaches snapshot creation, rollback, and backup scheduling for containers. Students protect container data using the same workflows applied to VMs.

Lesson 3 • Container Networking and Bind Mounts

Covers container network interfaces, VLAN tagging, and host bind mounts. Students configure containers to access host directories and isolated networks.

Lesson 4 • Container Resource Management

Configures CPU limits, memory limits, and disk quotas for containers. Students apply resource controls to prevent noisy-neighbour issues in shared environments.

Lesson 1 • Live Migration of VMs and Containers

Teaches online and offline migration of VMs and containers between nodes. Students perform migrations with zero or minimal downtime using correct prerequisites.

Lesson 2 • Cluster Maintenance and Node Management

Covers node evacuation, maintenance mode, and safe cluster updates. Students perform rolling upgrades without disrupting running workloads.

Lesson 3 • Shared Storage for Clustering

Configures shared storage backends required for live migration and HA. Students attach Ceph, NFS, or iSCSI storage accessible by all cluster nodes.

Lesson 4 • Building a Proxmox Cluster

Covers cluster creation, node joining, and quorum requirements. Students form a functional multi-node cluster with verified corosync communication.

Lesson 1 • Proxmox Backup Fundamentals

Explains backup modes, storage targets, and the vzdump tool architecture. Students understand the trade-offs between snapshot, suspend, and stop backup modes.

Lesson 2 • Restoring VMs and Containers

Teaches full restore, partial file restore, and restore to alternate storage. Students recover workloads from backup under time pressure using both UI and CLI.

Lesson 3 • Proxmox Backup Server Integration

Covers deploying Proxmox Backup Server and connecting it as a storage backend. Students leverage deduplication and incremental backups to reduce storage consumption.

Lesson 4 • Configuring Backup Jobs

Walks through scheduling automated backup jobs via the web UI and CLI. Students create recurring jobs with correct retention, compression, and notification settings.