TL;DR
We released a version 1.0.0 of our free Open Source project. It's Rancher Node Driver for Proxmox Virtual Environment.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What does it do? | It spawns virtual machines in Proxmox VE and lets Rancher instantiate RKE2 or K3s Clusters on them automagically - more in the article. |
| Can I have a demo? | Yes! Here it is (no sound): Rancher Node Driver for Proxmox Demo |
| Where to get it from? | https://github.com/Stellatarum/docker-machine-driver-pve/releases |
| How to install it? | https://github.com/Stellatarum/docker-machine-driver-pve?tab=readme-ov-file#installation |
| Do we support it? | Yes we do! Feel free to add issues on GitHub. Contact us directly for priority support. |
What does it do?
The Rancher Machine Driver for Proxmox VE bridges the gap between Rancher's powerful Kubernetes management capabilities and Proxmox Virtual Environment's robust virtualization platform. This integration allows DevOps teams and platform engineers to:
- Automatically provision virtual machines in Proxmox directly from the Rancher UI
- Deploy and manage RKE2 or K3s Kubernetes clusters with minimal manual intervention
- Streamline the entire lifecycle of Kubernetes environments from a single interface
For organizations already invested in Proxmox infrastructure, this driver eliminates the need for complex scripting or manual VM provisioning when setting up Kubernetes clusters. It brings the same level of automation to Proxmox that Rancher users have enjoyed with other infrastructure and cloud providers.
Typical workflow
Let's walk through a typical workflow of how the Rancher Machine Driver for Proxmox VE simplifies cluster deployment:
- Machine Template Creation: You have to create a template of a VM that the driver will use to provision new Kubernetes Nodes. We provided a sample Packer configuration to automatically create one based on Ubuntu Server - you can use it if you don't have a template already.
- Driver Installation: After installing the driver on your Rancher server, a new node driver option appears in the Rancher UI.
- Configuration: Configure your Proxmox connection details, VM specifications, and network settings.
- Cluster Deployment: Use the template to deploy a new RKE2 cluster - Rancher automatically provisions the necessary VMs in Proxmox and installs Kubernetes components.
- Scaling: Need more worker nodes? Simply increase the node count, and the driver handles the provisioning of additional VMs with proper configuration.
The entire process reduces what would typically take hours of manual configuration to just a few clicks.
Who should use it?
The Rancher Machine Driver for Proxmox is particularly valuable for:
- On-premises Kubernetes environments: Organizations that maintain their own infrastructure and prefer not to rely on public cloud providers
- Development and testing teams: Creates consistent, reproducible environments that match production setups
- Educational institutions: Simplifies Kubernetes learning environments when working with limited resources
- Small to medium businesses: Leverages existing Proxmox investments without needing expertise in both virtualization and container orchestration
- Enterprises with hybrid environments: Streamlines management across on-premises Proxmox VMs and cloud-based infrastructure
This driver is especially useful if you're already using Proxmox for virtualization but want the benefits of Rancher's Kubernetes management capabilities without complex integration work.
Demonstration
We prepared a short video demonstrating the usage of the extension - it's without sound, just technology making its charm:
Implementation details
The driver is implemented as a Go-based Docker/Rancher Machine driver that communicates with both the Rancher API and Proxmox VE API. It handles template-based VM provisioning in Proxmox VE using cloud-init for VM initialization.
Getting started
Detailed installation instructions and configuration options are available in our GitHub repository
Support
We can provide priority support for your inquiries. If your infrastructure can benefit from simply deployable Kubernetes environments using Rancher - e.g. for development purposes, we are here to help. We are open to providing additional functionalities and enhancing performance of the product. Training sessions for your team are also available.
Summary
The Rancher Machine Driver for Proxmox represents our commitment to the open source community and our desire to simplify Kubernetes deployments in on-premises environments. By bridging these two powerful platforms, we're enabling more organizations to benefit from Kubernetes without the complexity traditionally associated with it.
We encourage you to try it out, provide feedback, and join us in making Kubernetes on Proxmox VE as seamless as possible.