{"id":8067,"date":"2024-07-29T09:00:38","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T07:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.credativ.de\/?p=8067"},"modified":"2025-09-12T14:50:56","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T12:50:56","slug":"how-and-when-to-use-software-defined-networks-in-proxmox-ve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.credativ.de\/en\/blog\/credativ-inside\/how-and-when-to-use-software-defined-networks-in-proxmox-ve\/","title":{"rendered":"How and when to use Software-Defined Networks in Proxmox VE"},"content":{"rendered":"

How and when to use Software-Defined Networks in Proxmox VE<\/h1>\n
Proxmox VE<\/a> is still the current go to solution when it comes to VM workloads by using open-source software. In the past, we already covered several topics around Proxmox, like migrating virtual machines from an ESXi environment to Proxmox environments<\/a>, using Proxmox in addition to NVMe-oF<\/a> for breakthrough performance or how to integrate the Proxmox Backup Server into a Proxmox cluster<\/a>.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
We can clearly see that there are still many other very interesting topics around Proxmox and therefore, we want to cover the SDN (software defined networking) feature in Proxmox. From a historical point of view, this feature is not really new – it already got introduced in Proxmox\u2019s web ui with Proxmox 6.2 but was always defined as an experimental feature. This finally changed with Proxmox 8.x where this not only got fully integrated but also got with Proxmox 8.1 the essential feature of IP address management (IPAM). Also, the SDN integration is now installed by default in Proxmox. However, you should still take note that this does not mean that all features are already stable – IPAM with DHCP management and also FRRouting and its controller integration are still in a tech preview state. So far, this sounds pretty interesting!<\/div>\n

<\/h3>\n

\"ProxmoxWhat is Software-Defined Networking?<\/h3>\n
But what is SDN and what does it have to do with Proxmox? Software-Defined Networking<\/em> (SDN) which also often just gets called as Software-Defined Network<\/em>, is a network architecture that centralizes network intelligence in a programmable controller, which maintains a global view of the network. This architecture allows for dynamic, scalable, and automated network configurations, in contrast to traditional networking where control and data planes are tightly coupled within network devices. The benefits of SDN include increased flexibility and agility, centralized management, improved resource utilization, and enhanced security. These benefits enable a quick deployment and adjustment of network services, simplify the management of large and complex networks, enhance the efficiency of resource allocation, and facilitate the implementation of comprehensive security policies and monitoring.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Proxmox VE also supports SDN to extend its capabilities in managing virtualized networks. With SDN, Proxmox VE offers centralized network management through a unified interface which simplifies the management of virtual networks across multiple nodes. Administrators can define and manage virtual networks at a central point for the whole cluster which reduces the complexity of network configurations. SDN in Proxmox VE also enables network virtualization, allowing the creation of virtual networks that are abstracted from the physical network infrastructure. This capability supports isolated network environments for different virtual machines (VMs) and containers.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Dynamic network provisioning is another key feature of SDN in Proxmox VE, which leverages SDN to dynamically allocate network resources based on the needs of VMs and containers, optimizing performance and resource utilization. The integration of Proxmox VE with Open vSwitch (OVS) enhances these capabilities. OVS is a production-quality, multilayer virtual switch designed to enable SDN and supports advanced network functions such as traffic shaping, QoS, and network isolation. Furthermore, Proxmox VE supports advanced networking features like VLAN tagging, network bonding, and firewall rules, providing comprehensive network management capabilities.<\/div>\n

How to configure a SDN<\/h3>\n

Knowing the basics and possibilities of Software-Defined Networking<\/em> (SDN) now, it gets interesting to set up such a network within a Proxmox cluster.<\/p>\n

Proxmox comes with support for software-defined networking (SDN), allowing users to integrate various types of network configurations to suit their specific networking needs. With Proxmox, you have the flexibility to select from several SDN types, including “Simple”, which is likely aimed at straightforward networking setups without the need for advanced features. For environments requiring network segmentation, VLAN<\/em> support is available, providing the means to isolate and manage traffic within distinct virtual LANs. More complex scenarios might benefit from QinQ<\/em> support, which allows multiple VLAN tags on a single interface. Also and very interesting for data centers, Proxmox also includes VxLAN<\/em> support, which extends layer 2 networking over a layer 3 infrastructure which significantly increases the number of possible VLANs which would else be limited to 4096 VLANs. Lastly to mention is the EVPN<\/em> support which is also part of Proxmox’s SDN offerings, facilitating advanced layer 2 and layer 3 virtualization and providing a scalable control plane with BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) for multi-tenancy environments.<\/p>\n

In this guide, we’ll walk through the process of setting up a streamlined Software-Defined Network (SDN) within a Proxmox Cluster environment. The primary goal is to establish a new network, including its own network configuration that is automatically propagated across all nodes within the cluster. This newly created network will created by its own IP space where virtual machines (VMs) receiving their IP addresses dynamically via DHCP. This setup eliminates the need for manual IP forwarding or Network Address Translation (NAT) on the host machines. An additional advantage of this configuration is the consistency it offers; the gateway for the VMs will always remain constant regardless of the specific host node they are operating on.<\/p>\n

Configuration<\/h3>\n

The configuration of Software-Defined Networking<\/em> (SDN) got very easy within the latest Proxmox VE versions where the whole process can be done in the Proxmox web UI. Therefore, we just connect to the Proxmox management web interface which typically reachable at:<\/p>\n