VIENNA, Austria – November 21, 2024 – Enterprise software developer Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH (“Proxmox”) today released version 8.3 of its virtualization platform, Proxmox Virtual Environment. The enterprise virtualization solution includes essential management tools and a user-friendly web interface, enabling organizations of all sizes, sectors and industries to deploy open source solutions in clustered and highly available configurations. Global customers use it to deploy extensive infrastructures across large geographies and integrate multiple applications seamlessly.

This release is based on Debian 12.8 (Bookworm), but uses Linux kernel 6.8.12-4 as stable by default and allows optional use of kernel 6.11. The software includes updates to the latest versions of major open source technologies for virtual environments such as QEMU 9.0.2, LXC 6.0.0 and ZFS 2.2.6 (with compatibility fixes for kernel 6.11).

Improvements to the Proxmox 8.3 virtual environment

• Aligning the Software-Defined Networking (SDN) stack with the firewall: SDN technology allows users to create virtual zones and networks (VNets), allowing them to efficiently manage and control complex network configurations and multi-tenant setups through Proxmox VE’s web interface. The SDN stack is now more tightly integrated with the firewall, with the ability to automatically generate sets of IP addresses for virtual networks and virtual guests managed by the IP address management plugin. Referencing IP sets in firewall rules simplifies their creation and maintenance. Additionally, the nftables-based opt-in firewall now has the ability to filter forwarded network traffic at the host and virtual network (VNet) level. For example, this can be used to restrict SNAT traffic or traffic flowing from one single area to another.
• Webhook target for the notification system: Proxmox Solutions’ flexible notification system uses a matcher-based approach to route notifications to different target types, allowing granular control over when, where and how notifications are sent. The new webhook notification target allows users to trigger HTTP requests for events such as system updates, cluster node issues, or a backup task. It supports customizable request headers and body content, allowing seamless integration with any webhook-enabled service.
• A new ‘Tag View’ feature for the resource tree offers users a quick, customizable overview of virtual guests: the new “Tag View” allows users to view their virtual guests grouped based on assigned tags.
• Ceph Squid support (technology preview): Proxmox Virtual Environment 8.3 adds support for Ceph Squid 19.2.0 and continues support for Ceph Reef 18.2.4 and Ceph Quincy 17.2.7. The preferred version of Ceph can be selected during the installation process.
• Faster container backups: When backing up containers to Proxmox Backup Server, it is now possible to efficiently detect files that have not changed since the last backup snapshot. When possible, unchanged files are not processed, which can make container backups run faster.
• Migrating from other hypervisors: Proxmox developers have streamlined guest import from Open Virtualization Format (OVF) and Open Virtualization Appliances (OVA) files. Proxmox VE now allows users to import OVF and OVA files directly from file-based storage via the web interface. This simplifies the guest import process and allows users to download OVA files from a local machine or download them from a URL. Additionally, Proxmox VE also offers an import wizard making it easy to migrate VMs from other hypervisors, such as VMware guests.

Quote from technical director Thomas Lamprecht:

“Our virtualization platform is designed to provide businesses with unparalleled efficiency and control,” said Thomas Lamprecht, CTO of Proxmox. “By integrating advanced software-defined networking capabilities, we enable businesses to simplify their IT infrastructure, improve agility, and drive scalable growth. We are currently developing the inaugural release of Proxmox Datacenter Manager, which will provide a unified management interface for multi-data center operations and facilitate efficient management of multiple clusters across various data centers.

Quote from COO Tim Marx:

“The Proxmox VE open source project has seen significant growth over the past few months, adding 300,000 active hosts, bringing the total to approximately 1.3 million. In today’s dynamic business environment, we are well positioned for growth, especially as recent market developments create new opportunities for us to serve our customers more effectively,” said Tim Marx, COO of Proxmox. “Our commitment to quality and value has resonated strongly, and we are excited to continue this momentum.” »

Availability

Proxmox Virtual Environment 8.3 is available for download at https://www.proxmox.com/downloads. The ISO contains the full feature set and can be installed on bare metal. Distribution upgrades from older versions of Proxmox VE are possible with apt. It is also possible to install Proxmox VE 8.3 on Debian.

License: Proxmox Virtual Environment is free and open source software, released under the GNU Affero General Public License, v3.

Support subscriptions: For business users, Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH offers a subscription support model, which provides access to the extensively tested enterprise repository, with regular updates via the web interface, as well as technical support on a subscription basis. Prices start at 110 EUR per year per CPU socket.

Facts
The Proxmox VE open source project has a huge global user base with over 1.3 million installed hosts. The virtualization platform is available in 30 languages. More than 190,000 active community members participating in the support forum engage and help each other. Using Proxmox VE as an alternative to proprietary virtualization management solutions, businesses are able to centralize and modernize their IT infrastructure and transform it into a cost-effective and flexible software-defined data center, based on the latest open source technologies . Tens of thousands of customers trust an enterprise support subscription from Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH.

About Proxmox server solutions
Proxmox provides powerful and user-friendly open source server software. Businesses of all sizes and across all industries use Proxmox solutions to deploy efficient, simplified IT infrastructures, minimize total cost of ownership, and avoid vendor lock-in. Proxmox also offers sales support, training services and a vast ecosystem of partners to ensure business continuity for its customers. Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH was established in 2005 and is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.