Introduction
Is it possible to run a high-availability enterprise-grade cluster without a rack full of screaming fans?
At ZimaSpace, we love seeing how creators push our hardware to the limit. Today, we are analyzing a fascinating network overhaul by tech enthusiast Jonatan Castro. In his latest video, "Proxmox VE 8/9 Cluster with ZimaBoard 2", Jonatan debunks the myth that you need massive, power-hungry hardware to maintain robust network services. We are grateful to Jonatan for sharing his expertise and allowing the community to learn from his innovative setup.
Below, we dive into his Proxmox VE 9 Cluster, exploring how he uses the ZimaBoard 2 to run everything from Home Assistant to 4K transcoding.
Proxmox High-Availability Cluster Hybrid Architecture
To have a healthy cluster in Proxmox, you generally need at least three nodes to maintain "Quorum"—the ability for the nodes to vote and decide which one is online.
In this setup, Jonatan uses a clever Hybrid Architecture:
The "Brain" (NAS Node): An Aostar WRT Max. Currently, this is strictly acting as a NAS (Network Attached Storage) running a TrueNAS VM.
The Workhorse: The ZimaBoard 2. This single board is running absolutely all network services.
The Q-Device (Tie-Breaker): An Orange Pi 2W. This isn't a full node, but it acts as a voter to maintain the cluster's health. It also runs secondary DNS and NUT (Network UPS Tools) to monitor battery backups.
The Golden Rule of HA:
"I can shut down or restart the ZimaBoard, and the services would move automatically, as long as they are marked for High Availability."
The ZimaBoard 2: Small Form Factor, Massive Output
Let's look at the star of the show. Jonatan moved all his services from the larger server to the ZimaBoard 2 (equipped with the Intel N150/N100 chip and 16GB RAM) to prove a point.
The result? "It is absolute madness what can be done with one of these mini PCs."
The Service Stack
Currently, this single board is hosting an impressive list of applications via Proxmox and Docker:
AdGuard Home: Network-wide ad blocking (synced with a secondary instance).
Uptime Kuma: Monitoring service uptime.
Bitwarden: Password management.
Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM): Reverse proxy for managing SSL certificates and domains (e.g., truenas.local, plex.local).
Plex Media Server: For streaming media.
Tailscale: VPN mesh network (used as an exit node so family members can watch Netflix "from home").
N8N: Workflow automation.
The "Arr" Suite: QBittorrent, Radarr, Sonarr, etc.
Home Assistant: The heart of the smart home.
Nextcloud: Personal cloud storage.
Performance Data
Despite running all of the above, the resource usage is shockingly low:
CPU Load: Less than 10% at idle.
RAM Usage: Approximately 10GB used out of 16GB (plenty of headroom left).
Power Consumption: The entire system averages around 12-13 Watts.
Transcoding & Temperatures
One of the most common questions regarding small single-board servers is: Can it handle media streaming?
Jonatan demonstrates this live. With the GPU passed through to the Plex container:
Task: Transcoding a 4K file to 720p HD.
Performance: The system handles the buffering effortlessly. You could likely handle multiple simultaneous 4K streams.
Thermals: The ZimaBoard 2 sits comfortably at around 52°C - 58°C under load.
Tutorial: Turning ZimaBoard 2 into a NAS with ZimaOS
The video concludes with a practical demonstration of the ZimaBoard 2's versatility. Jonatan sets up a virtualized NAS using ZimaOS.
Step 1: VM Creation
Using a Proxmox script, he installs ZimaOS.
Allocated Storage: A small 64GB virtual disk for the OS.
Resources: Minimal RAM and CPU are needed for the OS itself.
Step 2: The "Secret Sauce" – SATA Passthrough
This is the critical step for data integrity. The ZimaBoard 2 features native SATA ports.
Connect two physical SSDs to the board.
In Proxmox Hardware settings, add a PCI Device.
Select the SATA AHCI Controller and check "All Functions."
"One of the great advantages of this mini PC is that it already has those two SATA outputs... you can connect two 2.5 or 3.5-inch disks very easily."
Step 3: RAID Configuration
Once ZimaOS boots (IP address found via console):
Navigate to the ZimaOS dashboard.
Go to Storage Manager.
Select the two physical drives passed through from Proxmox.
Create a RAID 1 array.
Now, you have a fully functional NAS running inside a VM, with direct hardware access to the drives for maximum performance.
Build Your Own Silent Powerhouse
This experiment proves that in 2026, you don't need enterprise rack servers to run a robust HomeLab.
By leveraging the ZimaBoard 2, Jonatan Castro achieved a silent, low-power (12W), and high-availability cluster. Whether you are running complex Docker containers, transcoding 4K media, or managing a RAID 1 NAS, compact hardware has officially caught up to heavy-duty demands.
Ready to build your own cluster? Check out the hardware used in this video at the ZimaSpace shop.
