In my post from late last year, I talked about things that I wanted to do in order to have a more resilient homelab. I think I'm getting closer to that goal.
I have put in a big order for some Zimablades in addition to some accessories for them to finally accomplish my goal.
What I hope this gets me #
- 1 new pfsense box that is low power. (Opnsense is better if you aren't tied to a decade old configuration like I am)
- 1 new NAS. I have a kit coming in that I will use my old hard drives with in a mirror, that should be sufficient for server up files on the network.
- 1 k3s node for hosting my Kubernetes app. For my personal use, I don't really need virtual machines.
- All of these nodes have a TDP of 10W, so I'm hoping the electricity bill will fall by quite a bit.
Single Node Kubernetes #
I realize that this may seem to go against the "resiliency" I set out to achieve in my original projects post (what, no high availability?), but this is actually congruent with it. All of the apps that I use on my virtual cluster today is in configuration files. I can simply target a new Kubernetes cluster, and spin up the same apps again and everything would work out fine.
What that means though, is that as long as I have the configuration files I will always be able to recover my Kubernetes node to a working state. I will always be like, 20 minutes away from having a working git repo and Unifi controller. I have stripped out everything else that I don't need.
There are a few issues with this that I want to point out to the reader though #
- These are old CPUs. The main motive for IceWhale repackaging this hardware is to upcycle older generation CPUs for others to use. This isn't a bad thing, and I kinda thing they are being transparent about it when they post their spec sheets. The tech being from 2016 IS STILL NEWER than what I am using today, so this is actually an upgrade for me.
- You can probably find a better deal for the performance you are getting. My goal with this homelab is the lowest amount of energy used and the smallest footprint possible. If I was more tolerant on those specifications, I would probably just go for a small form factor Dell or HP business computer that you can find on Ebay for under $100 in some cases.
- Everything is exposed. These boards are more made for "tinkerers" so they don't have a full case for your hard drives to set in too (at least one that's not open air). That's not a big deal for me and my use, but something worth considering for your own setup.
For me, this change makes sense and will ultimately make it so I have a few key services without having to manage physical infrastructure that's heavier than a few pounds.
If you are wanting to start your own homelab, I came across a video in my research on the Zimablade that speaks to an idea I've had for a long time about homelabs. You don't need enterprise hardware to run a server. Anything you have, no matter what size, is sufficient. Follow the white rabbit.