I’m currently running Proxmox on a single Lenovo ThinkStation P330 Tiny. As my VMs workloads have grown, the 64GB of RAM is consistently sitting near capacity.

To spread the memory load and get proper HA, seamless VMs migration, and easier node maintenance, I’m considering adding two more matching units to build a 3-node cluster.

Planned Per-Node Specs:

. Chassis: Lenovo P330 Tiny . CPU: Intel Core i9-9900T ES . RAM: 64GB DDR4-3200 (running at 2666MHz platform limit) . Boot/Local Storage: 1TB NVMe

Networking: Upgraded to 2.5GbE

Shared Storage:

Synology NAS via iSCSI (SSD cache enabled) over 2.5GbE

Does this setup still offer good value for money, or are there better alternatives in this form factor?

I’d especially appreciate feedback on:

  1. 9900T ES stability: Long-term reliability and virtualization quirks under Proxmox.
  2. 2.5GbE bandwidth: Is it sufficient for 3 nodes sharing iSCSI, especially during backups or migrations?
  3. Synology iSCSI + SSD cache: Practical experience with this as primary VM shared storage across multiple P330 tiny nodes.
  4. Any other bottlenecks, hidden traps, or limitations I might be overlooking?
  • buildmylab@lemmus.orgOPEnglish
    1·
    2 days ago

    That makes a lot of sense. I already have a Synology DS920+, so there’s no additional storage hardware cost on my end. The Tiny form factor is ideal for me mainly due to footprint and low noise, but total cost and idle power are definitely things I’m weighing.

    Another route I’m considering is picking up just one more Tiny instead of two, and running an external Corosync QDevice directly on the DS920+ (via a lightweight Docker container) for the tiebreaker vote. That gives me a proper 2-node quorum without the hardware cost and power draw of a third physical node. Combined with the DS920+ for shared iSCSI storage, that might actually hit the sweet spot between cost, footprint, and HA.

    • skankhunt42@lemmy.caEnglish
      2·
      2 days ago

      If you only have 2 and 1 fails, you’ll need to make sure the remaining one can take on 100% of the workload. If you’ve already maxed one and want HA, I’d suggest adding 2 more. Otherwise you’ll need to decide what services are down while you repair

      • buildmylab@lemmus.orgOPEnglish
        2·
        1 day ago

        Indeed. With 2 nodes I’ll need to keep enough headroom for migrations if one goes down. Both hosts should normally stay online, but failure and maintenance capacity are definitely things I need to account for.

        I’m also planning to monitor the whole setup through OpsHome NOC — both Proxmox hosts, workloads, Synology storage, and related services — so I can get a centralized view from my phone or web console wherever I am.

        Thanks for the reminder!