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Visit backup.mrplanb.comStorage Solutions for Your Homelab
Explore powerful and flexible storage technologies designed for homelab enthusiasts and IT professionals. From ZFS and Ceph to Longhorn, PBS, and Unraid, discover how to build a storage setup that balances performance, reliability, and scalability.
ZFS
The gold standard of data integrity with checksums, snapshots, and compression.
Ceph
Distributed storage system unifying object, block, and file storage.
Longhorn
Lightweight Kubernetes block storage with replication and disaster recovery.
Proxmox Backup Server
Fast, deduplicated backups for Proxmox VE with encryption support.
Unraid
Flexible NAS with parity protection, Docker, and VM management.
Harvester
Hyperconverged infrastructure integrating Kubernetes and Longhorn.
Rook-Ceph
Cloud-native Ceph orchestration for Kubernetes environments.
NFS
Simple, Unix/Linux-native file sharing protocol.
iSCSI
Block-level storage over IP, ideal for virtualization.
LTO Tape
Time-tested solution for long-term data storage and archiving.
ZFS – The Gold Standard of Data Integrity
ZFS combines a file system and volume manager into one, offering end-to-end data integrity, snapshots, replication, and compression. It's the foundation for many homelabs running Proxmox VE or TrueNAS, ensuring your data remains consistent and recoverable even in case of hardware failure.
- • Bit rot protection through checksums
- • Efficient deduplication and compression
- • Native snapshots and replication
- • Ideal for virtual machines and containers
Ceph – Distributed and Scalable Storage
Ceph is a distributed storage system that unifies object, block, and file storage under one architecture. It's perfect for Kubernetes, OpenStack, and large-scale homelabs where high availability and scalability are essential.
- • Self-healing and self-managing design
- • Horizontal scaling without downtime
- • Integration with Rook-Ceph for Kubernetes
- • Excellent performance for multi-node clusters
Longhorn – Lightweight Kubernetes Storage
Longhorn, developed by SUSE, is a lightweight, open-source block storage solution for Kubernetes. It offers replication, snapshots, and disaster recovery capabilities with minimal overhead—making it an ideal fit for edge and homelab environments.
Proxmox Backup Server (PBS)
PBS provides fast, deduplicated backups for Proxmox VE environments. Whether you're backing up VMs, containers, or physical hosts, PBS ensures data efficiency and integrity with built-in ZFS and encryption support.
Unraid – Flexible and User-Friendly Storage
Unraid combines NAS functionality, virtualization, and Docker management in a single platform. It's perfect for homelab users who want an easy-to-manage system with parity-based protection, dynamic disk allocation, and community plugin support.
Harvester – Virtualization Meets Open-Source Storage
Harvester, part of the SUSE ecosystem, integrates Kubernetes, KubeVirt, and Longhorn to deliver a hyperconverged infrastructure for homelabs and edge deployments. It simplifies managing compute, storage, and networking within a single cluster.
Rook-Ceph – Cloud-Native Storage Orchestration
Rook-Ceph brings Ceph into the Kubernetes ecosystem, automating deployment, scaling, and recovery. It's the preferred choice for those seeking reliable, self-managing block and object storage in containerized environments.
Network Storage Protocols: NFS, iSCSI, SMB/CIFS
Different workloads need different network storage approaches:
- • NFS – Simple, Unix/Linux-native file sharing protocol
- • iSCSI – Block-level storage over IP, ideal for virtualization
- • SMB/CIFS – Windows-friendly and cross-platform file sharing
These network storage protocols form the backbone of shared access in both homelab and enterprise setups.
Backup Strategies and Data Protection
A strong storage system means nothing without reliable backups. Follow the 3-2-1 backup rule: three copies of your data, two types of media, one offsite or remote backup. Tools like Restic, BorgBackup, and Duplicati make it easy to automate and verify your backup routines.
Choosing the Right Storage Solution
Your storage choice depends on your performance, capacity, and redundancy needs. For small homelabs, ZFS or Unraid offer simplicity and reliability. For scalable, cloud-native environments, Ceph, Rook-Ceph, or Longhorn provide flexibility and resilience. Experiment, benchmark, and build the storage architecture that fits your homelab vision.