Understanding Proxmox Storage Options and How to Add a Single Disk

In Proxmox, there are several storage options available to manage your virtual machines and containers. Each storage type has its unique features and benefits, making it essential to understand their differences to choose the best solution for your needs.

This guide will explain the primary storage options in Proxmox:

• LVM (Logical Volume Manager): A flexible and scalable method for managing storage volumes by abstracting physical disks into logical volumes.
• LVM-thin: An extension of LVM that provides Thin Provisioning, allowing for efficient use of storage space by only allocating physical storage as needed.
• Directory: A straightforward approach that uses a directory within an existing file system to store virtual machines and containers, ideal for simpler setups.
• ZFS: A combined file system and logical volume manager designed for high storage capacity with built-in data integrity checks, snapshots, and more advanced features.

Additionally, this guide will cover how to add a single disk to your Proxmox environment, ensuring that you can expand your storage capabilities effectively.

Proceeding After Connecting a New Hard Disk in Proxmox

Once you have connected the new hard disk, you're ready to proceed with the setup. To make it easier to identify the new disk, it is a good practice to first review the list of installed hard disks before you connect the new one.

This way, you will have a clear reference of your existing disks, which helps in easily distinguishing the newly added one when you view the updated list after installation.

Follow these steps:

1. Before connecting the new disk, list the current disks using the appropriate command or tool in Proxmox.
2. Connect the new hard disk to your system.
3. Run the command or refresh the disk list to see the newly added disk alongside the existing ones.
4. Identify the new disk based on the changes in the list or its specifications.

Listing Available Hard Disks in Proxmox

Once the new hard disk is connected, it's time to identify it. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the terminal on your Proxmox system.
2. Enter the following command to list all available hard disks:
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lsblk

3. This command will display a list of all connected storage devices, including the newly added hard disk.

Review the list to identify the new disk. It should appear alongside your existing disks, and you can use this information for further configuration or management tasks.

TIP: Since I captured an overview of the disks before installing the new hard disk and saved it as a screenshot, I can now precisely identify that the hard disk labeled “sdc” is the newly installed one.

LVM, LVM-thin, Directory, and ZFS are all storage management technologies. While LVM, LVM-thin, and Directory share similarities in their setup process, in this example, I will demonstrate how to configure the LVM-thin storage management technology. In a separate example, I will guide you through the setup of the ZFS storage management technology.

Add ZFS Storage

1. Select the node you wish to configure.
2. Select the storage technology:
   • LVM, LVM-Thin, and Directory – These options follow the same setup process.
   • ZFS – Refer to a separate guide for detailed instructions on setting up ZFS.
3. Click on the Create: ### button.
4. Select the new hard disk from the available options.

The new memory then appears, and you can save virtual machines on it again.