Frequently Asked Questions

Proxmox VE (Virtual Environment) is an open-source enterprise-grade virtualisation platform based on KVM and LXC. It provides a full virtualisation stack including clustering, high availability, live migration, software-defined storage (Ceph, ZFS), SDN networking, and a built-in backup solution — all managed through a web interface and full API.

Yes. Proxmox VE has been in production use for over 15 years by service providers, government agencies, universities, and large enterprises globally. It supports multi-node clustering, HA failover, live migration, replicated storage, and comes with optional commercial support subscriptions directly from Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH. The platform powers some of the largest European cloud providers.

For the vast majority of workloads, Proxmox VE is functionally equivalent to vSphere. Both support VM live migration, HA, snapshots, storage integrations, and enterprise networking. Proxmox VE 9.2 (November 2025) also added the Cluster Resource Scheduler, closing the long-standing DRS gap. The remaining differences: Proxmox is open-source and licensed per socket (not per core), uses the Linux kernel directly giving access to standard Linux tooling, and doesn't require a separate management server equivalent to vCenter. In exchange, NSX microsegmentation depth and Aria automation tooling remain VCF-specific.

Proxmox Backup Server is a dedicated backup solution for Proxmox VE environments. It supports incremental, deduplicated backups at the block level, meaning backups are fast and storage-efficient. PBS integrates natively with Proxmox VE and supports encrypted, offsite backup repositories. It's a standard part of every Proxmox environment we design.

Proxmox Mail Gateway is an open-source email security gateway providing spam filtering, virus scanning, and email proxying. It can be deployed in front of any mail server (Exchange, Microsoft 365 hybrid, etc.) and is managed through the same Proxmox web interface style. As an authorised Proxmox reseller, we license and support PMG as part of the full Proxmox stack.

Proxmox VE is open-source and free to use without a subscription. Commercial subscriptions are available per CPU socket and provide access to the enterprise package repository (more conservative, tested updates), priority support from Proxmox, and access to stable update channels. Subscriptions are optional but recommended for production environments. There is no per-VM, per-core, or per-feature licensing.

The difference is dramatic. VMware Cloud Foundation is licensed per physical core, and Broadcom's current pricing typically works out to A$8,000–15,000 per host per year for a mid-size cluster. Proxmox VE subscriptions for the same cluster typically cost A$500–1,200 per socket per year. For a 4-host cluster with 2 sockets per host, the three-year saving is commonly A$150,000–250,000. Use our calculator at /calculator/ for a comparison with your specific numbers.

Yes. Proxmox subscriptions include access to the enterprise repository and commercial support from Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH via their support portal. The level of support escalation depends on your subscription tier. Instelligence also provides local Australian support on top of the upstream Proxmox support entitlement.

Yes — Proxmox VE is fully functional without a subscription. You will be pointed at the no-subscription repository (which carries updates faster but with less stability testing) and will not have access to Proxmox commercial support. For lab, test, and development environments this is fine. For production, we recommend subscriptions.

Yes — VMware to Proxmox migration is a core service. We handle end-to-end migrations covering assessment, platform design, environment build, workload conversion, cutover scheduling, and validation. Most workloads migrate with brief planned downtime windows; live cross-hypervisor migration isn't typically possible, but careful cutover scheduling minimises impact.

Timeline depends heavily on the size and complexity of the environment. A small cluster (4 hosts, 50–100 VMs) typically takes 4–8 weeks from assessment to full production cutover. Larger environments with complex networking, specialised workloads, or regulatory requirements take longer. We provide a realistic timeline estimate as part of the assessment phase before any commitment.

Brief downtime windows are usually required for individual workloads during cutover. Unlike within a single hypervisor platform (where live migration is seamless), moving VMs between VMware and Proxmox requires a shutdown-convert-restart cycle. We minimise impact by migrating workloads in planned batches scheduled during off-hours or low-traffic windows, and by running the Proxmox platform fully in production before any VMware workloads are moved.

Proxmox VE has built-in SDN capabilities that cover the majority of NSX use cases — VLAN, VXLAN, and BGP-EVPN based overlay networks. For environments using NSX heavily, we assess each requirement individually during the blueprint phase and design the equivalent in Proxmox SDN. Some very specialised NSX features may require alternative approaches.

Yes. vSAN to Ceph migrations are a common part of VMware-to-Proxmox projects. Ceph is Proxmox's native scale-out storage solution and is functionally comparable to vSAN. The migration approach depends on available capacity — typically we build the Ceph cluster first, migrate VMs onto it, then decommission the vSAN. We factor hardware reuse into the design wherever possible.

Proxmox VE supports a wide range of storage backends: Ceph RBD and CephFS for distributed storage, ZFS (local and replicated), LVM and LVM-thin, NFS, SMB/CIFS, iSCSI, Fibre Channel, and directory-based storage. For most new deployments we recommend Ceph for its resilience, scalability, and native integration with Proxmox. ZFS is excellent for single-node or two-node setups with local storage.

Ceph is an open-source, software-defined distributed storage platform that provides object, block, and filesystem storage. When deployed alongside Proxmox VE, it enables shared storage across all cluster nodes without dedicated SAN hardware — VMs can live migrate freely between hosts and storage remains highly available even with node failures. Proxmox has native Ceph management built into its interface, making it straightforward to deploy and operate.

Yes. Proxmox VE supports both KVM virtual machines and LXC (Linux Containers). Containers share the host kernel and are more lightweight than VMs, making them ideal for workloads that don't require a full OS environment — web servers, databases, microservices. Both VMs and containers are managed through the same interface and benefit from the same backup, snapshot, and HA features.

Proxmox VE has built-in HA through its cluster resource manager. When a node fails, VMs and containers marked for HA are automatically restarted on surviving nodes within the cluster. HA requires a minimum of three nodes for reliable quorum. No additional vCenter-equivalent is required — HA is built directly into Proxmox VE.

Yes. Proxmox VE supports GPU passthrough via VFIO/IOMMU and, as of Proxmox VE 8.4, live migration for NVIDIA vGPU-equipped VMs. This makes it suitable for AI inference workloads, VDI deployments, and GPU-accelerated applications. We have experience designing Proxmox environments for GPU-intensive workloads and can advise on the hardware and configuration requirements.

Instelligence is an Australian company. All engineering and support is performed locally — there are no offshore hand-offs. We serve clients across Australia and work with international clients on a case-by-case basis.

Yes. Instelligence is an authorised Proxmox reseller and partner in Australia. We can sell Proxmox VE, Proxmox Backup Server, and Proxmox Mail Gateway subscriptions directly, with the same support entitlements as buying directly from Proxmox, plus our local support on top.

Both. We run implementation projects (design, deployment, migration) and offer ongoing managed services for Proxmox environments — proactive monitoring, patching, backup management, capacity planning, and incident response. Many clients start with a project engagement and transition to a managed service once the environment is live.

Most enquiries get a response from a senior engineer quickly, and discovery calls can usually be scheduled within the same week. We don't run long sales cycles — if we're a fit, we'll know quickly.

Yes. If you have an existing Proxmox environment that needs ongoing support, a health check, or help with a specific problem, we can engage on that basis. We'll do an environment review first to understand what we're working with.

Yes — this is a specific focus for us. We work with managed service providers and cloud service providers to design and deploy Proxmox-based multi-tenant private cloud platforms, including integration with tools like MultiPortal for self-service and billing. If you're an MSP looking to build or migrate your cloud platform, talk to us.

Our core focus is Proxmox VE. We have deep experience with VMware (which is often where clients are coming from) and general Linux infrastructure. We don't offer KVM-only or oVirt/RHV services — if you need a different platform, we'll refer you to someone better suited.

We work across a range of industries including managed service providers, technology companies, healthcare, professional services, and government-adjacent organisations. The common thread is a need for robust, cost-effective private cloud infrastructure with real support.

A discovery call is a 30–60 minute conversation with one of our senior engineers — not a sales rep. We'll ask about your current environment, what's driving the need for change, your timeline, and any constraints (regulatory, budget, operational). You'll get honest feedback on whether and how we can help, and a clear next step if there's a fit.

Yes. All our project engagements include documentation deliverables — as-built documentation, runbooks, and a knowledge transfer session with your team. We want your team to be able to operate the environment confidently after we've delivered it.