Cluster Control Hardware Requirements: RAM, CPU, Storage & Database Fleet Management
Plan ClusterControl hardware for CPU, RAM, monitoring retention, managed-node count, backups, and practical Zima-host deployment recommendations.
Cluster Control hardware requirements at a glance
Size Cluster Control from verified upstream requirements first, then add headroom for workload and persistent data.
- RAM
- 2 GB minimum; 8 GB for 3–15 nodes
- CPU
- 2 cores minimum; 4 cores for 3–15 nodes
- Storage
- 20 GB minimum; 50 GB for 3–15 nodes
- Architecture
- x86_64 only
- Network
- Gigabit Ethernet or higher recommended
- Best Zima starting point
- ZimaCube 2 Pro for a small real deployment
From official requirements to the right setup
Start with current upstream facts for Cluster Control, then size the real workload rather than copying generic container or app-store labels.
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Official requirements
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Confirm your needs
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Leave room to grow
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Run it on ZimaOS
Check every playback client
- Managed node count
- Cluster count
- Monitoring retention
- Prometheus use
- Backup repository use
- SSH/network reachability
- Database mix
- HA requirements
Official minimum requirements
ClusterControl publishes explicit hardware tiers by managed-node count.
The documented minimum is 2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM, and 20 GB disk on x86_64. The Small tier for 3–15 nodes is 4 cores, 8 GB RAM, and 50 GB disk.
| Requirement | Official minimum | What this supports |
|---|---|---|
| 2 cores | Small: 4; Medium: 16; Large: 24. | |
| 2 GB | Small: 8 GB; Medium: 16 GB; Large: 32 GB. | |
| 20 GB | Small: 50 GB; Medium: 150 GB; Large: 300 GB. | |
| x86_64 only | Required. | |
| Gigabit Ethernet or higher | Important for monitoring/provisioning/backup traffic. | |
| RHEL/Rocky/Alma/Ubuntu/Debian | Version ranges are listed upstream. | |
| Not required | No GPU workload. |
When to upgrade your hardware
Managed nodes increase
Monitoring retention grows
Backup repository use
Plan hardware growth with confidence
SSD controller storage
Use SSD for ClusterControl databases and monitoring state.
SSD/NVMeMore RAM
Follow official Small/Medium/Large tiers.
8–32 GB+ RAMMonitoring storage
Expand disk for Prometheus and long retention.
Larger SSDStronger CPU
Move to the official node-count tier as fleet size increases.
ZimaCube 2 Pro or strongerCan it run on ZimaOS?
Custom install ClusterControl in ZimaOS
No specific public official ZimaOS App Store page was verified, so use Custom Install only if the deployment model can preserve upstream host requirements.
Custom install ClusterControl in the ZimaOS app ↗Prefer a clean dedicated host or VM
Severalnines installation guidance expects a clean dedicated host for standard installation.
Open ClusterControl installation guidance ↗Follow official node-count tiers
Use managed-node count, retention, backups, and network placement for sizing.
Open ClusterControl requirements ↗Zima hardware for Cluster Control
ClusterControl is a control-plane and monitoring workload with explicit sizing tiers; it should not be treated like a lightweight home-server utility.
Choose by workload
A 2-core, 2 GB, 20 GB host meets the published minimum, but this is below the Small production-style tier.
Match the official Small tier of 4 cores, 8 GB RAM, and 50 GB disk.
Zima hardware mapping should respect the official node-count tiers and dedicated-host expectations.
| Zima hardware | Best for | Example workload | Core configuration | Recommended boundary | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZimaCube 2 Pro | CPU-heavier, database-heavier, and higher-concurrency services | Larger production-style self-hosted workloads |
|
16 GB RAM can still be low for larger enterprise monitoring/search/control-plane deployments | Get Now |
What the Press Says
Highlights from trusted reviewers worldwide.
“ZimaCube 2: Not just another NAS, tested with 25TB storage, local AI agents, 4K transcoding, and real homelab workflows.”Read full review
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Stories and reviews from people who build with Zima every day.
Zima Blade Little yet Powerful
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Very good!!
I use ZimaCube Pro as 5th Proxmox cluster node. It runs several VMs and containers, including a VM with GPU passthrough to run a self-hosted LLM. A specific LXC container runs a Samba server for NAS capabilities using four of six RAID 6 SATA HDDs with ZFS.
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Frequently asked questions
What is ClusterControl's minimum CPU?
2 cores.
What is the minimum RAM?
2 GB.
What is the minimum disk space?
20 GB.
What does the Small tier require?
4 cores, 8 GB RAM, and 50 GB disk for roughly 3–15 managed nodes.
Which CPU architecture is supported?
x86_64 only.
What network speed is recommended?
Gigabit Ethernet or higher.
Does ClusterControl need a GPU?
No.
When should I move to larger hardware?
When node count, monitoring retention, or centralized backup usage grows.
