📚 Main Topics

1. Visibility in Home Labs

   • Importance of monitoring to avoid "flying blind."
   • Understanding system performance and issues (e.g., CPU spikes, VM reboots).

2. Monitoring Tools and Strategies

   • Common tools: Prometheus, Grafana, Loki, and their limitations.
   • Risks of having monitoring tools within the same VM they are monitoring.

3. Best Practices for Monitoring

   • Use of dedicated LXC containers for monitoring.
   • Hybrid approach with lightweight exporter agents for different components.
   • Importance of separating monitoring from the main application environment.

4. Alternative Monitoring Solutions

   • Zabbix as a robust alternative with Proxmox integration.
   • Other tools: Checkmk, Netdata, Pulse, Munin, Home Assistant, and Libra NMS.

5. Advanced Monitoring Techniques

   • Command line tools and GUI tweaks for quick checks.
   • Remote monitoring for maximum resilience.

✨ Key Takeaways

• Visibility is CrucialWithout proper monitoring, you risk losing control over your home lab's performance and health.
• Avoid Single Points of FailureMonitoring tools should not reside in the same environment they are monitoring to prevent total data loss during failures.
• Hybrid Monitoring SetupA combination of lightweight monitoring containers and dedicated agents provides comprehensive data while ensuring resilience.
• Explore AlternativesWhile Prometheus and Grafana are popular, other tools like Zabbix and Checkmk may offer better integration and features for specific needs.
• Remote MonitoringImplementing remote monitoring solutions can provide alerts and visibility even if the main system fails.

🧠 Lessons Learned

• Separate Monitoring from Main SystemsAlways keep monitoring tools on separate hardware or containers to avoid losing visibility during failures.
• Community ResourcesLeverage community-shared dashboards and scripts to simplify setup and enhance monitoring capabilities.
• Continuous ImprovementRegularly assess which metrics are most critical to track for your specific home lab needs, adapting your monitoring strategy as necessary.