Deploying Unraid on Proxmox to manage storage

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Deploying Unraid on Proxmox to manage storage can be a powerful setup, leveraging Proxmox’s virtualization capabilities and Unraid’s storage management features.

Step-by-Step Guide to Deploy Unraid on Proxmox

1. Prepare Proxmox Environment

  1. Ensure Proxmox is Updated:

    • Update your Proxmox installation to ensure you have the latest features and security patches:
      apt update && apt full-upgrade -y

  2. Add a Storage Location for VM Images:

    • Make sure you have a storage location available for your VM images, preferably on your ZFS pool.

2. Download Unraid

  1. Get Unraid USB Creator:

  2. Create Unraid Bootable USB:

    • Use the Unraid USB Creator to create a bootable USB drive with the Unraid OS.

3. Create a Proxmox VM for Unraid

  1. Create the VM:

    • Navigate to Datacenter > Node > Create VM.
    • Name the VM (e.g., unraid).

  2. Configure VM Settings:

    • OS:
      • Choose Do not use any media.
    • System:
      • Set BIOS to SeaBIOS.
      • Set Machine type to i440fx.
    • Hard Disk:
      • Do not add a hard disk at this stage.
    • CPU:
      • Assign the desired number of cores.
    • Memory:
      • Allocate sufficient RAM (e.g., 8GB).
    • Network:
      • Choose the virtio model.
    • CD/DVD:
      • Do not add any ISO image at this stage.

  3. Add the Unraid USB as a Hard Disk:

    • After the VM is created, navigate to Hardware > Add > USB Device.
    • Choose the USB device where you installed Unraid.

  4. Add Physical Disks to the VM:

    • Navigate to Hardware > Add > PCI Device.
    • Add the physical disks intended for Unraid as PCI devices.

4. Modify VM Configuration for Unraid

  1. Edit the VM Configuration File:
    • Access the VM configuration file located at /etc/pve/qemu-server/<vmid>.conf.
    • Add the following lines to ensure proper PCI passthrough and USB boot:
      args: -device usb-host,hostbus=1,hostaddr=2
hostpci0: 00:1f.2
    • Adjust the hostbus and hostaddr according to your USB device.

5. Start the Unraid VM

  1. Boot the VM:

    • Start the Unraid VM from the Proxmox web interface.
    • Ensure the VM boots from the USB drive.

  2. Access Unraid Web Interface:

    • Once Unraid boots up, access the Unraid web interface by navigating to the IP address assigned to the VM.

6. Configure Unraid

  1. Set Up Unraid:

    • Follow the initial setup wizard to configure Unraid.
    • Assign the physical disks to the Unraid array and cache pool as desired.

  2. Configure Network:

    • Ensure that the network settings in Unraid match your Proxmox network configuration for seamless integration.

7. Optional: Enable GPU Passthrough

  1. Enable IOMMU in Proxmox:
    • Ensure IOMMU is enabled in Proxmox as described earlier.
    • Pass the GPU through to the Unraid VM by adding the GPU as a PCI device in the VM configuration.

Example Network Configuration

  1. Proxmox Network Configuration:

    • Create a Linux bridge (vmbr0) on Proxmox for VM networking.
    • Assign a static IP to Proxmox management interface.
    • Example configuration:
      auto vmbr0
iface vmbr0 inet static
    address 192.168.1.10/24
    gateway 192.168.1.1
    bridge_ports eno1
    bridge_stp off
    bridge_fd 0

  2. Unraid Network Configuration:

    • Configure the network settings in Unraid to use the same bridge.
    • Assign a static IP (e.g., 192.168.1.20).

By following this guide, you can deploy Unraid on Proxmox, leveraging both Proxmox’s virtualization capabilities and Unraid’s powerful storage management. This setup allows for efficient storage management and flexible virtualization solutions.

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