"Proxmox Virtual Environment is an open-source server virtualization management platform. It is a Debian-based Linux distribution with a modified Ubuntu LTS kernel and allows deployment and management of virtual machines and containers."
I have recently created a cluster for running virtual machines (VMs) that run Monte Carlo proton beam simulations.
The cluster is composed of 5 physical Dell Power Edge R630 server, each has 96 GB RAM and a SATA drive (for boot OS / hypervisor) plus 2 or 4 SAS drives (for the VMs). The Proxmox 6.2 virtual environment is installed and running on each node. This handles the create and management of VMs.
Proxmox 6.2 VE web interface for cluster management
The Proxmox VE install process on each physical node is straightforward:
-Create USB boot ISO (using Rufus (DD mode)) and downloaded Proxmox ISO from website
-Set server to boot from USB
-Change server controller from RAID to HBA mode (so the disks are compatible with Proxmox).
-Once the Proxmox installer boots, select the SATA drive for installation
-set the FQDN and other management network settings
-Once install is complete, reboot the server.
-The web interface can be accessed at: https://X.X.X.X:8006
Clustering can then be achieved through the web interface:
-On one of the nodesSelect "Data center" > "Cluster" > "Create Cluster" (follow defaults) and copy the "Join Information" for use on the other nodes.
-Log into web interface on other nodes and select "Data Center" > "Cluster" > "Join Cluster" and paster the join information and input the root password.
Many VM storage (including pooled storage) options are available in Proxmox VE including ZFS. CEPH and GlusterFS are pooled sotrage options which enable the creation of "hyperconverged" clusters in which VMs can be live migrated to other cluster nodes.
It is also possible to create a VM template and clone as needed.
Going forward my plan is to investigate the use of SLURM as a Monte Carlo job submission management tool to run on top of the Monte Carlo VMs.
VNC Proxmox VE web interface access to VM showing Monte Carlo treatment head simulation
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