proxmox/docs/archive/STORAGE_NETWORK_VERIFICATION.md

Storage and Network Configuration Verification

Last Updated: 2025-01-11
Purpose: Guide for verifying storage and network configuration for optimal deployment performance

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Overview

Proper storage and network configuration significantly impacts deployment performance. This guide provides verification steps and recommendations for optimal deployment speed.

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Storage Configuration

Why Storage Matters

• Container Creation: Faster I/O = faster container creation
• OS Template Installation: Local storage = ~15-30 minutes saved
• Package Installation: Local storage reduces I/O wait times
• Overall Impact: Local storage can save 15-30 minutes total

Storage Types

Storage Type	Performance	Recommendation
local-lvm	Excellent	✅ Recommended (local SSD/HDD)
local (dir)	Good	✅ Recommended for small deployments
local-zfs	Excellent	✅ Recommended (ZFS pools)
nfs	Variable	⚠️ Depends on network speed
ceph	Good	⚠️ Network latency may impact
glusterfs	Variable	⚠️ Network latency may impact

Verification Steps

1. Run Storage Verification Script

# Verify storage configuration
./scripts/validation/verify-storage-config.sh

This script will:

• Check if configured storage exists
• Verify storage type (local vs. network)
• Check available capacity
• Provide recommendations

2. Manual Verification

# List available storage
pvesm status

# Check storage details
pvesm status | grep local

# Verify configured storage exists
grep PROXMOX_STORAGE config/proxmox.conf

3. Storage Configuration

Ensure config/proxmox.conf has:

# Use local storage for best performance
PROXMOX_STORAGE="local-lvm"  # Or "local" or "local-zfs"

Recommendations

1. Use Local Storage: Prefer local-lvm, local, or local-zfs
2. SSD Storage: Use SSD-based storage for fastest performance
3. Sufficient Capacity: Ensure ~100GB per container (67 containers ≈ 6.7TB)
4. Monitor I/O: Watch storage I/O during deployment

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Network Configuration

Why Network Matters

• Package Downloads: ~500 MB - 2 GB per container
• OS Template Downloads: ~200-500 MB (one-time)
• Configuration Transfers: Minimal but frequent
• Overall Impact: Good network can save 30-60 minutes total

Network Requirements

Connection Speed	Performance	Recommendation
1 Gbps (Gigabit)	Excellent	✅ Recommended
100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet)	Good	⚠️ Acceptable, may be slower
10 Mbps	Slow	❌ Not recommended for large deployments
Wireless	Variable	⚠️ Use wired if possible

Verification Steps

1. Run Network Verification Script

# Verify network configuration
./scripts/validation/verify-network-config.sh

This script will:

• Check network connectivity to Proxmox host
• Test latency
• Verify network interface speeds
• Check DNS resolution
• Test internet connectivity and download speed
• Verify Proxmox bridge configuration

2. Manual Verification

# Check network interfaces
ip link show

# Check bridge status
ip link show vmbr0

# Test connectivity
ping -c 3 <proxmox-host>

# Test download speed (rough estimate)
curl -o /dev/null -w "Speed: %{speed_download} bytes/s\n" https://github.com

3. Network Configuration

Ensure config/proxmox.conf has:

# Configure bridge (usually vmbr0)
PROXMOX_BRIDGE="vmbr0"

# Configure Proxmox host (if remote)
PROXMOX_HOST="192.168.11.10"  # Or hostname

Network Optimization Recommendations

1. Use Wired Connection: Avoid wireless for deployment
2. Gigabit Ethernet: Use 1 Gbps or faster connection
3. Low Latency: Ensure <50ms latency to Proxmox host
4. Local Package Mirrors: Consider apt mirrors for faster package downloads
5. Pre-cache Templates: Run pre-cache-os-template.sh before deployment
6. Monitor Bandwidth: Watch network usage during deployment

Expected Network Usage

For complete deployment (67 containers):

Operation	Data Transfer	Frequency
OS Template	~200-500 MB	One-time (if not cached)
Package Downloads	~500 MB - 2 GB per container	Per container
Configuration Files	~1-10 MB per container	Per container
Total	~35-135 GB	Complete deployment

Breakdown:

• Besu nodes (12): ~6-24 GB
• CCIP nodes (41-43): ~20-86 GB
• Other services (14): ~7-28 GB

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Pre-Deployment Checklist

Storage Checklist

• Run verify-storage-config.sh
• Verify storage is local (not network-based)
• Check sufficient capacity (6.7TB+ recommended)
• Confirm storage is accessible
• Verify PROXMOX_STORAGE in config matches available storage

Network Checklist

• Run verify-network-config.sh
• Verify network interface is Gigabit (1 Gbps) or faster
• Test latency to Proxmox host (<50ms recommended)
• Verify DNS resolution working
• Test internet connectivity
• Check download speed (>100 Mbps recommended)
• Verify Proxmox bridge is UP
• Confirm PROXMOX_BRIDGE in config matches actual bridge

Optimization Steps

1. Before Deployment:

   # Pre-cache OS template (saves 5-10 minutes)
   ./scripts/deployment/pre-cache-os-template.sh
   
   # Verify storage
   ./scripts/validation/verify-storage-config.sh
   
   # Verify network
   ./scripts/validation/verify-network-config.sh
   

2. During Deployment:

   • Monitor storage I/O: iostat -x 1
   • Monitor network usage: iftop or nload
   • Watch resource usage: htop

3. After Deployment:

   • Review deployment logs for bottlenecks
   • Adjust parallel execution limits if needed
   • Consider optimizations for future deployments

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Troubleshooting

Storage Issues

Problem: Slow container creation

• Solution: Use local storage instead of network storage
• Check: Run pvesm status to verify storage type

Problem: Insufficient storage space

• Solution: Free up space or expand storage
• Check: pvesm status shows available capacity

Network Issues

Problem: Slow package downloads

• Solution: Use local package mirrors or upgrade network
• Check: Run network verification script

Problem: High latency

• Solution: Use wired connection, optimize network path
• Check: ping <proxmox-host> shows latency

Problem: DNS resolution failures

• Solution: Configure proper DNS servers
• Check: nslookup github.com should resolve

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Performance Impact

Storage Impact

Storage Type	Container Creation	OS Installation	Total Impact
Local SSD	Fast	Fast	Optimal
Local HDD	Good	Good	Good
Network (1 Gbps)	Moderate	Moderate	Acceptable
Network (<100 Mbps)	Slow	Slow	Significant delay

Time Savings: Local storage saves ~15-30 minutes vs. network storage

Network Impact

Connection Speed	Package Downloads	Template Download	Total Impact
1 Gbps	Fast	Fast	Optimal
100 Mbps	Moderate	Moderate	Acceptable
10 Mbps	Slow	Slow	Significant delay

Time Savings: 1 Gbps saves ~30-60 minutes vs. 100 Mbps for complete deployment

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References

• Deployment Time Estimate: docs/DEPLOYMENT_TIME_ESTIMATE.md
• Optimization Recommendations: docs/DEPLOYMENT_OPTIMIZATION_RECOMMENDATIONS.md
• Parallel Execution Limits: docs/PARALLEL_EXECUTION_LIMITS.md
• Proxmox Storage Documentation: https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Storage

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Quick Verification

Run both verification scripts before deployment:

# Verify storage configuration
./scripts/validation/verify-storage-config.sh

# Verify network configuration
./scripts/validation/verify-network-config.sh

Both scripts will provide recommendations for optimal deployment performance.