Proxmox Datacenter Manager 0.9 PDM Beta Upgrade/Install Tips

Have you heard the news yet? Proxmox has released the Datacenter Manager in version 0.9 BETA, and the release really has it all!

If you're managing your infrastructure with Proxmox, this is for you. The team has done a great job and a lot of cool innovations packed in, It will make your admin life much easier.

What's new in Proxmox Datacenter Manager 0.9 Beta?

The absolute killer feature is the integration of Software-Defined Networking (SDN). Imagine that you can now see from a single surface. EVPN zones and VNets Configure across all your clusters. Never again do you have to log in to each cluster to adjust the network configuration. N1! A new, clear panel gives you a lightning-fast overview of the status of your EVPN zones. This is the dream for anyone dealing with distributed data centers!

But there are also great innovations outside the network:

• The search has been completely revised. She's super fast and smart now. With a powerful query syntax reminiscent of Elasticsearch, you can search for exactly what you need, whether it's a VM, a container, or an entire remote location. Simply filter by type, status or other criteria.
  
• Metric capture is now much more efficient. The data is now collected in parallel from all remotes, which noticeably improves performance. This will give you an even faster overview of the performance of your systems.
  
• The user interface (GUI) feels much rounder. You can now adjust the time frame in the RRD graphs, get new metrics like the Pressure Stall Information (PSI) The remote setup wizard has also been improved.

The Whole Changelog is here. feedback; Tips/Tricks and Forum: long. Known problems? We got you covered. ISO link only? Please!

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Upgrading from Alpha to Beta: This is how it works

If you're already running the alpha version of Datacenter Manager, you're probably wondering: “How do I get to the new beta?” Good question! Proxmox gives you a seamless In-place upgrade process Available, but be careful: The upgrade also changes the operating system of Debian 12 Bookworm on Debian 13 ‘Trixie’, so don’t take it lightly.

Very important: Before you press a single button, Makes a complete and tested backup!

I can't stress that enough. You should also work via SSH or a physical console, as the connection via the web UI will stop during the upgrade. For SSH connections, a terminal multiplexer such as tmux or screen This is a good idea to ensure that the process continues even if the connection is broken.

Good, enough banter in advance, then let's take a look at the Five Steps to Happiness in detail. Open your eyes, hands to the keyboard and off for it!

Step 1: The preparation

Before you get started, please make sure your current alpha installation is up to date. (0.1.12+) To do this, execute the following commands:

apt update apt dist-upgrade

Check if your version is now 0.1.12 or higher is. If the command fails, you are not yet on the necessary version and must first upgrade there, if necessary restart the system after the update 1x.

proxmox-datacenter-manager-admin versions

Does the version fit? Great, keep to the beat. Make a backup of your configuration files, just in case:

tar czf "pdm-alpha-etc-backup-$(date -I).tar.gz" -C "/etc" "proxmox-datacenter-manager"

Also, make sure that your root mountpoint has at least 10 GB free space available. You can do this quickly with the command. df -h / check.
Sidenote: For me, the PDM runs in a VM, which I quickly allocated more space to. Turn off > DiskAction > Resize > Restart > Done.

Step 2: Customize repositories

This step is crucial. First you install the new Proxmox archive keyring so that your system trusts the new package sources:

apt install proxmox-archive-keyring

After that, adjust the Debian repositories. A simple command changes all entries from Bookworm to Trixie:

sed -i 's/bookworm/trixie/g' /etc/apt/sources.list

Now you add the new Proxmox Datacenter Manager beta repository. The easiest way to do this is with this command, which automatically creates the file:

cat > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pdm-test.sources << EOF Types: deb URIs: http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pdm Suites: trixie Components: pdm-test Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/proxmox-archive-keyring.gpg EOF

Don't forget to remove or disable the old alpha repositories. You can do this by commenting on the corresponding lines (#) or delete the file. To make sure that everything fits, lead necessarily apt update and then apt policy off. The issue of apt policy It should only show trixie repositories. If there's any bookworm in there, just go with it. # commenting out.

Step 3: Preflight check:

Proxmox offers a mobile phone pdmAtoB checklist script: In the latest alpha packages from 0.1.12 is a small utility called pdmAtoB included. Run, all green, no warnings? From there.

pdmAtoB

Important hints and possible problems

• The pdmAtoB checklist script: In the latest alpha packages is a small utility called pdmAtoB included. Performs it before, during, and after the upgrade. It gives you clues and warnings about potential problems.
  
• Old hardware: Compatibility with very old hardware is not as extensively tested as with newer devices.
  
• Network name: The new kernel can change the names of network interfaces. It is advisable to either have physical access to the server or use an independent remote connection (such as IPMI or iKVM).
  
• Systemd boot: If this is the case: pdmAtoBIf you write it, you should systemd-boot Uninstall Metapackage. Proxmox takes care of proxmox boot tool even around the bootloader, and this package can cause conflicts.

Step 4: Perform the upgrade

Once all the preparations have been made, you can start the actual upgrade. Depending on the system, this can take some time, on a slow hard drive up to 60+ minutes, on a fast SSD it is often done in under 5 minutes.

To do this, simply execute this command:

apt dist-upgrade

During the process, you may be asked about configuration files or their changes. A few tips:

• At the beginning comes, among other things, a list of the innovations apt-listchanges: They will be shown to you as information. This is only possible after pressing a button q continue. I missed it because I was getting coffee and wondered why everything was ‘frozen’.
  
• I have the questions about automatically restarted services with n Rejected, system has to be restarted anyway because of the dist-upgrade to Trixie.
  
• In the case of: /etc/issue it is safe to keep your current version as Proxmox will regenerate this file when booted. So n to vote.
  
• In the case of: /etc/ssh/sshd_config As a rule, you can adopt the version of the package maintainer as long as you have not made any manual changes. It follows that: y confirm.
  
• In the case of: /etc/default/grub You should be especially careful. Check the changes carefully and keep your version if you've added manual kernel options. It is safe: n to vote.

Step 5: Finish & Clean up

Once the command has passed successfully, your system restarts to activate the new kernel:

systemctl reboot

After restarting, it is best to clear your browser cache so that the new web interface is loaded correctly (e.g. with Ctrl + Shift + R).

Checks the status of the main services:

systemctl status proxmox-datacenter-api.service proxmox-datacenter-privileged-api.service

Both should active (running) display.

If you want, you can still upgrade your repositories to the modern deb822Migrate format:

apt modernize-sources

If you (like me Sparbrenner) are always close to the hard disk space, you can make the VM smaller afterwards, my fresh 0.9 occupies cozy 4GB, with 2-4 as overhead you should then also get space for other experiments. Backwards as above also goes forward:
Turn off > DiskAction > Resize > Restart > Done.

That's what it was. Now log in again on the newly updated PDM 0.9 and be happy with the new SDN and pretty GUI.

Oh, and if all this is still new territory for you, there is still a candy to take with you. This Official PDM Mini-Howto.

TL:DR

If the whole upgrade process seems too tedious to you, there is a simple alternative: Loads The new ISO Download and install the Proxmox Datacenter Manager completely new. For many, this is the fastest and safest way to use the new beta, especially if your configuration isn't too complex.

I have now tried both and must say the upgrade steps are really no obstacle for someone without fear of the command line, all in all the ALPHA 0.1.11 to 0.1.12 to 0.9 BETA with complete upgrade from Bookworm to Trixie in less than 20 minutes Completed. (YMMV, plan 1 hour+ on older hardware and/or HDD)

Fun fact: Re-setting once went roughly Half as fast, I then had to reconnect the Datacenter Manager to the cluster, which I definitely haven't done often enough to know by heart. Then I have The remaining 10 minutes Let's start with Documentary A: Find it again and B: through to see. Googlen is also, or this Mini-HowTo from above.

Conclusion:

You see, the Proxmox team did a great job. Version 0.9 is not only a major upgrade in terms of features, but also lays the foundation for the future of centralized data center management. Look at it and give it if possible. Your feedback to the boys and girls After all, it's still a beta.