Auto-update blog content from Obsidian: 2025-05-26 18:02:57
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@@ -18,14 +18,14 @@ In 2015, I upgraded to a Raspberry Pi 2, seeking better performance to run multi
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By 2018, the need for more RAM led me to a Raspberry Pi 3, allowing me to run even more applications. My 3 little machines were running happily together, in a quite ordered mess.
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Finally, in 2019, my new job made me experiment the virtualization, with virtual machines and above all Docker. I wanted to try that at home, I took a significant step forward with a compact yet quite powerful headless mini PC that laid the foundation of my homelab.
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Finally, in 2019, my new job made me discover the virtualization, with virtual machines and above all Docker. I wanted to try that at home, I took a significant step forward with a compact yet quite powerful headless mini PC that laid the foundation of my homelab.
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---
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## Why a Homelab ?
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I wanted my own playground, a space where I could build but also safely break things, learn to fix them, and gain a deeper understanding of how they work.
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My single server was great, but testing anything risky on it became a problem. It was running critical services like home automation or DNS, when it was down, everything was down. The server had become indispensable, and believe me, having no lights or internet is a major incident in my family. Not so fun anymore.
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My single server was great, but testing anything risky on it became a problem. It was running critical services like home automation or DNS, and believe me, having no lights or internet is a major incident in my family. The server had become indispensable. When it was down, everything was down. Not so fun anymore.
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The first big challenge I set for myself was building a Kubernetes cluster. Sure, I could run one on a single node, but what’s the point of a cluster with only one node? You could argue that running Kubernetes to control my shutters is overkill, and you’d be right. But that wasn’t the point.
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@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ That meant:
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- **High Availability:** Three nodes to ensure that no single point of failure would bring everything down.
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- **Distributed Storage:** Data redundancy across nodes, not just for uptime but also to learn how enterprise-grade storage systems work.
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- **Network Segmentation:** Multiple VLANs to mimic real-world network topologies, isolate services, and practice advanced networking.
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Basically, I wanted to build a tiny datacenter in a closet.
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### Constraints
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Of course, reality doesn’t always align with ambitions. Here’s what I was up against:
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@@ -52,8 +54,6 @@ Of course, reality doesn’t always align with ambitions. Here’s what I was up
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- **Budget:** I wasn’t going to drop thousands on enterprise-grade hardware. The balance was finding reliable, second-hand gear that wouldn’t break the bank.
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- **Temperature**: I’m not gonna lie, I hadn't thought of it... Mini PCs don’t generate much heat, but network gear? That’s a different story. Lesson learned.
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In a nutshell, I wanted to build a tiny datacenter in a closet.
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---
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## Infrastructure Overview
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@@ -121,10 +121,8 @@ Inside the rack, I also added two 80mm fans to help with airflow. To keep everyt
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Here what is look like:
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---
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## Software Stack
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@@ -184,7 +182,7 @@ This two-layer proxy setup centralizes SSL certificate management in **Caddy** w
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For secure remote access, I configured **WireGuard** on OPNsense. This lightweight VPN provides encrypted connectivity to my lab from anywhere, allowing management of all my services without exposing them all directly to the internet.
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#### Network Diagram
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### Application
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Let's dive into the fun part! What started as a modest setup meant to serve a few personal needs quickly turned into a full ecosystem of open source services, each solving a specific need or just satisfying curiosity.
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