//nbkelley /homelab

Proxmox Storage Management

Calendar May 1, 2026
Proxmox, Storage, Smb, Cifs, Zfs, Backups

Proxmox Storage Management#

title: Proxmox Storage Management version: 1.2 date: 2026-04-30 namespace: general wiki: homelab tags: [proxmox, storage, smb, cifs, zfs, backups] changes: Crystallized from historical DeepSeek conversation historical: true#

Proxmox Storage Management#

What Was Established#

  • SMB/CIFS shares can be integrated into Proxmox via CLI or the Web GUI.
  • GUI integration is recommended for Proxmox-native features (backups, ISOs, templates) and automatic retention management.
  • Local disk inspection (e.g., sda2) requires verifying mount status and filesystem type to avoid conflicts with active root partitions.

CLI Mounting (Persistent)#

  1. Install utilities: apt update && apt install cifs-utils
  2. Create credentials file: /etc/smb-credentials with chmod 600.
  3. Add to /etc/fstab: //server/share /mnt/smb-share cifs credentials=/etc/smb-credentials,uid=0,gid=0,file_mode=0660,dir_mode=0770,iocharset=utf8 0 0
  4. Test mount: mount -a

GUI Mounting (Proxmox Native)#

  • Navigate to Datacenter → Storage → Add → SMB/CIFS.
  • Required Fields: ID, Server, Share, Username, Password.
  • Content Types (select based on use case):
    • ISO images
    • Container templates
    • VZDump backup files
  • Advanced Options: Max Backups, Prune Backups, SMB Version (e.g., 3.0), Domain.
  • Verification: Green checkmark in Storage list indicates active status. Use “Test Connection” if available.

Local Disk Inspection#

  • Check status: lsblk, blkid /dev/sda2, mount | grep sda2.
  • Mount temporarily: mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/sda2.
  • Inspect: ls -la /mnt/sda2, df -h, du -sh /mnt/sda2/*.
  • Note: sda2 is typically the root partition on Proxmox hosts; avoid modifying if already mounted at /.

Open Questions#

  • Specific purpose of sda2 on Isengard (192.168.1.69)? (Likely root, but verify with lsblk/blkid).
  • SMB share usage for LonelyMountain (192.168.1.137) backups vs ISOs? (GUI method preferred for VZDump retention).

Proxmox Systemd Mounts — systemd mount units for NAS shares Proxmox LXC Storage Mounts — LXC bind mounts and permission mapping Proxmox ZFS Storage & Installation Patterns Proxmox NVMe Partition Management TrueNAS (Vairë) - Storage & Backup Server

Proxmox Systemd Mounts

Calendar May 1, 2026
Proxmox, Storage, Systemd, Smb, Cifs, Nas

Proxmox Systemd Mounts#

What Was Established#

  • SMB/CIFS shares can be integrated into Proxmox via CLI or the Web GUI.
  • GUI integration is recommended for Proxmox-native features (backups, ISOs, templates) and automatic retention management.
  • System-level mounts (e.g., at /media/synology) are distinct from Proxmox Storage and are used for general file operations accessible by the host OS.
  • Proxmox automatically mounts SMB shares under /mnt/pve/<storage_id> when configured via the GUI.

Key Decisions#

  • Maintain both a Proxmox Storage entry (for VM disks/backups) and a system-level mount (for general file access).
  • Extract credentials from /etc/pve/storage.cfg to avoid hardcoding passwords in multiple places.
  • Use pvesm status to verify existing storage mounts and avoid conflicts.

Current Configuration#

  • Synology NAS (LonelyMountain): 192.168.1.137
  • Proxmox Storage: Configured via Datacenter > Storage (SMB/CIFS) for VM-related content.
  • System Mount: Targeted at /media/synology for general file operations.

System-Level Mount Methods#

1. Extract Credentials & Create System Mount#

  1. Check existing Proxmox storage: pvesm status
  2. Extract server/share info from /etc/pve/storage.cfg
  3. Create credentials file: 
    nano /root/.smbcredentials
# Add: username=your_username, password=your_password
chmod 600 /root/.smbcredentials
  4. Add to /etc/fstab: 
    //192.168.1.137/share_name /media/synology cifs credentials=/root/.smbcredentials,uid=0,gid=0,file_mode=0660,dir_mode=0770,iocharset=utf8 0 0
  5. Test: mount -a

Create /etc/systemd/system/media-synology.mount:

TrueNAS (Vairë) - Storage & Backup Server

Calendar April 27, 2026
Truenas, Proxmox, Zfs, Nfs, Smb, Collabora, Storage

TrueNAS (Vairë) - Storage & Backup Server#

What Was Established#

TrueNAS (Vairë) is deployed as a Proxmox VM to serve as the primary storage and backup server for the homelab. It handles ZFS storage pools, NFS/SMB shares for Proxmox and other VMs, and hosts Collabora Office in an iocage jail.

Key Decisions#

  • VM Type: Q35 with UEFI firmware (recommended for ZFS stability).
  • Resources: 16 GiB RAM (fixed, no ballooning) and 2 vCPUs. 32 GB boot disk separate from storage.
  • Storage: 4TB HDD passed through directly to the VM for ZFS data integrity and performance.
  • Backup Integration: NFS share (/mnt/tank/backups) configured for Proxmox backups. SMB share available for manual access.
  • Collabora Office: Deployed in a dedicated iocage jail on port 9980.

Current Configuration#

  • Hostname: Vairë
  • IP Address: 192.168.1.100 (NFS) / 192.168.1.133 (SMB)
  • Proxmox VM ID: [Pending verification]
  • ZFS Pool: tank (4TB HDD passthrough)
  • NFS Share: /mnt/tank/backups (Network: 192.168.1.0/24, Maproot: root)
  • SMB Share: /mnt/tank/backups (Version 3.0)
  • Collabora Jail: iocage jail, port 9980

Historical Notes#

  • The conversation notes two different IPs for TrueNAS (192.168.1.100 and 192.168.1.133). Verify which IP is currently assigned to the TrueNAS VM.
  • TrueNAS CORE uses iocage jails. Ensure jail templates are up to date.
  • Proxmox backups to NFS require hard,intr,noatime mount options in /etc/fstab.

Open Questions#

  • Which IP address is currently active for Vairë (192.168.1.100 or 192.168.1.133)?
  • Is the 4TB HDD currently formatted as a ZFS pool on Vairë?
  • Has Collabora Office been integrated with a Nextcloud instance?

Sources#

  • ingested/chats/032-TrueNas - Vairë.md
  • Historical DeepSeek conversation on TrueNAS VM setup and Proxmox integration.