This page was last edited on February 3, 2026
The Soylagh virtualisation cluster is to be part of my Twoaie 20U server rack. The cluster will consist of two nodes to provide redundancy and improve resource management. This configuration will allow me to experiment with different operating systems and applications in a controlled environment.
For virtualisation there are two options that I'm considering: Debian with KVM/QEMU, and Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE).
Debian with KVM/QEMU
The first option is to install Debain with KVM/QEMU. This configuration can provide virtualisation capabilties. It does not however have features that natively support clustering and management solutions. Meaning that I would need to install libvirt or other orchestration tools to effectively manage clustered environments.
This option would be fully accessible to me with my assistive technology stack. I am able to install Debian with the accessible installer, and all the necessary packages from the command line. I would then be able to configure and mange KVM/QEMU. The only draw back is the complexity compared to Proxmox.
Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE)
Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) on the other hand has been designed to be an all-in-one solution, making it easier to handle complex environments from the command line. The only problem is Proxmox does not have an accessible installer. So it is not possible for me to install it without sighted assistance, which is not an option.
There is another way to install Proxmox using Ansible. I could create an Ansible Playbook that would automate the installation and configuration of Proxmox without any intervention from me through scripts. This method would require careful planning and the use of specific Ansible modules to handle the installation tasks.
It would be impossible for me – with an assistive technology stack – to do this on a bare metal node as the initial deployment would require additional setup with other tools like PXE booting or WDS for a fully unattended installation.
The only work around would be to install Debain on the bare metal node. Then, it would be possible to use an Ansible Playbook to automate the installation of Proxmox on top of Debian without intervention from me using scripted commands and configurations. This method would allow for a fully automated setup process.
Proxmox will be fully accessible to me from the command line once installed.
The nodes
In the first instance I am considering using two Intel NUC 9 Extreme (Ghost Canyon) NUC9i9QNX as my nodes – that could be placed on a server rack shelf with a depth of 10-inches in the Twoaie 20U server rack, taking up 3U of rack space – each node has an 8-core i9 processor, 64GB RAM, a 500GB NVMe, and 2TB NVMe. This would at least let me begin to test the installation process of both Debian with KVM/QEMU, and Promox on top of Debian with an Ansible Playbook.
Once I've decided on an installation, and I'm happy with the process, I will look to get a pair of refurbished 19-inch rack mounted srvers, with more cores per machine, and ECC RAM (Error Correction Code RAM). I've allocated 6U in the rack for these machines.