Enterprise-grade ZFS storage back-end for Proxmox Virtual Environment. Build a cost-optimized, hyperconverged High Availability cluster on just two servers — with built-in backup and instant disaster recovery.
Overview
Efficient Virtualization with Open-Source Freedom
VFusionOS has been extensively tested and validated to operate as a seamless data storage back-end for Proxmox Virtual Environment. This integration provides a powerful, hyperconverged High Availability cluster that runs a complete virtualization, storage, and application environment on just two high-end servers — significantly reducing hardware costs compared to traditional three-server deployments.
An optional third, low-cost node can be added for enterprise-grade data protection, backup, and instant disaster recovery. By leveraging VFusionOS On- & Off-site Data Protection (OODP), organizations achieve near-zero Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and seamless business continuity.
Why VFusionOS + Proxmox VE
Key Integration Benefits
High Availability Cluster
Hyperconverged HA cluster designed for 24/7 uptime. Perform system maintenance and migrate virtual machines without service disruptions — vital for continuous business operations.
Near-Zero RPO
Continuous On- & Off-site Data Protection with backup intervals as short as one minute. Minimal system resource usage ensures backups run uninterrupted, even in heavily loaded environments with thousands of VMs.
Significant Cost Reduction
Run a complete enterprise environment on two servers instead of three. Eliminate expensive Ceph overhead and unnecessary licensing fees. Select hardware that fits your budget VFusionOS is fully hardware-agnostic.
NFS Optimized Performance
Leverage NFS with the nconnect option for superior IOPS and throughput compared to iSCSI solutions. Simpler administration with consistent, stable performance validated through extensive FIO benchmarks.
No Vendor Lock-In
VFusionOS integrates not only with Proxmox VE but also with VMware, Citrix, and Microsoft Hyper-V. Freedom to choose, adapt, and switch hypervisors without being bound to a single platform.
Automated VM Backup
Unique mechanism for instant and automated backup of VM/CT configuration files, stored alongside their associated virtual disks. Simplifies backup management and dramatically accelerates recovery processes
System Configuration
Hyperconverged Architecture Overview
The recommended configuration consists of a Proxmox VE cluster with two hypervisor nodes, a VFusionOS HA cluster providing ZFS-based storage, and an optional backup node for off-site data protection. Proxmox VE uses its clustered filesystem exclusively for VM configuration data — virtual disks reside on VFusionOS storage, reducing overhead and supporting more virtual machines on the same hardware.
Data Protection
On- & Off-site Data Protection (OODP)
VFusionOS OODP delivers continuous, 24/7 backup and disaster recovery with intervals as short as one minute. Its ultra-efficient design consumes minimal system resources, enabling uninterrupted backups — even in heavily loaded environments running thousands of virtual machines or containers.
Whether you need to restore a single file, an individual virtual machine, or the complete virtualized infrastructure, VFusionOS enables efficient backup and rapid recovery, significantly minimizing downtime and the risk of data loss. No third-party tools required.
Capabilities
Integration Feature Packs
High Availability Cluster for NFS, iSCSI and FC
VFusionOS includes failover functionality for iSCSI, Fibre Channel (FC), NFS, and SMB (CIFS), enabling High Availability Load-Balanced Storage Clusters that ensure reliability and redundancy. Supports active-active and active-passive configurations with dual-controller clustering.
On- & Off-site Data Protection
Consistent snapshots and asynchronous replication to local and remote destinations with advanced retention plans. Covers a wide range of disaster recovery plans without third-party tools. Backup window reduced to minutes with only data changes replicated per interval.
Ransomware Protection
Very frequent snapshots with instant access to all data provide a rapid way to roll back to the state before a virus attack. Combined with VFusionOS data integrity features — checksumming, self-healing scrub, and atomic transaction writes — your data stays protected.
Proxmox VE Native Integration
Tested and validated across disruptive scenarios including pool migrations, system reboots, and power outages. Smooth operation of HA clusters on the VFusionOS side guarantees uninterrupted operations. Live VM migration without service disruption is fully supported.
NFS with nconnect Optimization
Superior performance via NFS with the nconnect option, delivering optimal IOPS and throughput in your Proxmox VE environment. Validated through extensive benchmarks including random read/write, sequential, and mixed random I/O patterns.
Hypervisor Agnosticism
VFusionOS integrates seamlessly with Proxmox VE, VMware, Citrix, and Microsoft Hyper-V. Choose the hypervisor that fits your needs today, with the freedom to migrate tomorrow. No vendor lock-in on either the hypervisor or the hardware side.
Cost Optimization
Why Two Nodes Beat Three
Traditional Proxmox + Ceph deployments require a minimum of three servers with shared storage overhead. VFusionOS eliminates that requirement entirely.
By combining native ZFS storage with built-in HA clustering and OODP backup, VFusionOS delivers enterprise-grade data protection at a considerably lower total cost of ownership. This benefits everyone — from Internet service providers managing thousands of VMs to small and medium-sized businesses seeking robust yet affordable infrastructure.
The open-source hypervisor combined with hardware-agnostic storage software means zero licensing lock-in. Select hardware that precisely matches your budgetary constraints and performance requirements.
Business Continuity
Disaster Recovery Scenarios
VFusionOS with Proxmox VE has been rigorously tested across multiple failure scenarios. The integration ensures your organization can recover from any disruption — quickly and completely.
Single File Restore
Recover individual files from any point-in-time snapshot. Users have direct access to previous versions via SMB on Windows clients.
Single VM Restore
Instant restore of individual virtual machines from backup. Users can immediately start working with their recovered VM and all its data.
Full Environment Restore
Complete infrastructure recovery from backup — all VMs, containers, configurations, and data restored to the last known good state.
Pool Migration
Seamless storage pool migration with zero downtime during maintenance operations. Pool Export and Import functionality enables safe media rotation.
Power Outage Recovery
Automatic recovery after unexpected power loss. Atomic transaction writes and ZFS copy-on-write ensure data consistency is maintained even through catastrophic failures.
VM Configuration Auto-Backup
Unique mechanism stores VM/CT configuration files alongside their associated virtual disks, ensuring recovery is complete — not just data, but the entire machine configuration.