I originally started with a QNAP server, then migrated to a FreeNAS server based on a “bare-metal” installation, then upgraded to TrueNAS. These ran self-contained Jails (like mini virtual machines) to cater for a Plex Server and Apache/MySQL/PHP (AMP) for website support, OpenHab etc. These Jails were based on FreeBSD. Having moved from OpenHab to Home Assistant I found it did not work well on FreeBSD, and also discovered that a great many home-labs ran a Proxmox Virtual Environment, with other server items running on that. Hence the decision was made to move to a server with the following:
- Proxmox VE as the overarching service, with
- TrueNAS CORE, running in a VM using pass-through HDD to form the NAS
- Home Assistant, running in a VM for home control
- Plex Server, running in a LXC for managing all our media requirements
- Docker, running in its own VM with multiple containers supporting other services:
- Traefik reverse proxy
- Portainer container manager
- Cloudflare DDNS
- SyncThing
- Tautulli Plex monitor
- etc
RAM Allocation
The server now has 16GB (2×8) + 32GB (2×16) = 48GB RAM, allocated as follows:
- Proxmox host = 2GB
- TrueNAS = 24GB
- Home Assistant = 4GB
- Plex Server = 2GB
- Docker = 4GB
- Total allocation, currently = 36GB (of 48GB)
Hardware
The server, hardware built originally in 2018 (link), is powered through an APC Back-UPS 700 to enable a controlled shutdown in the event of a mains failure.