Proxmox Virtual Environment (Proxmox VE) lets you run multiple virtual machines (VMs) on one physical computer. Each VM acts like a separate computer with its own operating system.
Virtualization: One Computer, Multiple VMs
VMs share the physical computer’s CPU, RAM, and storage. You choose how much of these resources each VM can use.
For example, you can run a Linux server and a Windows desktop at the same time on the same machine.
Clustering: Manage Computers Together
A cluster is a group of physical computers managed through one web interface.
Clustering does not combine them into one giant computer. Each VM still runs on a single physical machine, but you can manage all the machines in one place.
Migration and Recovery
- Migration: You can move a VM from one computer in the cluster to another. Depending on your setup, you may be able to do this while the VM is running.
- High availability (HA): With HA configured and enough resources available, a VM can automatically restart on another computer if its original host fails. There is still downtime while it restarts.
- Backups: Saved copies let you restore a VM if something goes wrong. HA is not a replacement for backups.