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PVProxmox VE: Build High Availability Cluster with Ceph (Lab)A lab course for building a 3-node Proxmox VE 8 HA cluster with Ceph storage
#proxmox ve#ceph#high availability#homelab#virtualization#udemy course

Courses & Learning · Course review · Updated 17 October 2026

Proxmox VE: Build High Availability Cluster with Ceph (Lab) reviewA lab course for building a 3-node Proxmox VE 8 HA cluster with Ceph storage

4.4

Excellent

Brent score, out of 5

A practical, lab-first course for sysadmins and homelab builders who want a working three-node Proxmox cluster with Ceph, HA failover and real backups. It is compact at under five hours, so it moves quickly and assumes you are comfortable with IP addressing and VLANs. Students rate it 4.5 out of 5, and it carries Udemy's Highest Rated badge.

  • Level

    Intermediate · 4h 51m

  • Instructor

    Amjid Ali on Udemy

  • Best for

    Sysadmins moving from VMware or Hyper-V to Proxmox

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Best for

  • Sysadmins moving from VMware or Hyper-V to Proxmox
  • Homelab builders with three spare machines or mini PCs
  • IT teams planning a small HA cluster for an SMB
  • Engineers who learn best by building, not reading

Skip it if

  • Complete beginners who have never configured a network
  • Anyone without hardware or VMs to build three nodes
  • Learners who want a long, exam-style certification course

One Proxmox host is fine until it fails at 2 a.m. and every VM goes down with it. You know the answer is a cluster with shared storage and automatic failover, but quorum, fencing, Ceph OSDs and separate storage networks are a lot to get right the first time.

This Udemy course walks through that build step by step: planning the hardware, wiring the networks, forming a three-node Proxmox VE 8 cluster, adding Ceph storage, turning on high availability and setting up proper backups. It is taught by Amjid Ali, the founder of this site, so treat this review as coming from an interested party and weigh the student ratings we quote.

Here is what the course covers, what you need before you start, and who will get the most from it.

What is Proxmox VE: Build High Availability Cluster with Ceph (Lab)?

A self-paced video course on Udemy with 10 sections, 42 lectures and 4 hours 51 minutes of content. It starts with Proxmox VE architecture and HA fundamentals, then moves through cluster planning, networking for HA (bridges, bonding, VLANs), building the cluster, integrating Ceph, backup and disaster recovery with Proxmox Backup Server, software-defined networking, the Proxmox firewall, upgrades, and a closing lesson on using AI to manage Proxmox. Requirements are basic networking knowledge and at least three physical or virtual machines with virtualization support.

Pros and cons

What we like

  • Builds a real 3-node cluster from hardware planning to failover
  • Covers Ceph monitors, OSDs, pools and separate Ceph networks
  • Includes Proxmox Backup Server and disaster recovery steps
  • SDN zones (VLAN, VXLAN, QinQ) and pfSense or OPNsense integration
  • Rated 4.5/5 by 70 students, with 5,060 enrolled
  • Updated in April 2026, including a lesson on using AI to manage Proxmox

What could be better

  • At 4h 51m, some topics such as monitoring and troubleshooting get brief coverage
  • Needs at least 3 nodes with 8 GB RAM each (16 GB recommended for Ceph)
  • Built around Proxmox VE 8, so some screens may differ on newer releases
  • The firewall section is a single 4-minute lecture
4.4

Overall
Excellent

  • Content depth4.4
  • Practicality4.6
  • Value4.4
  • Up to date4.2

What the course covers

What you’ll learn

  • Plan hardware and networks for a 3-node Proxmox VE 8 cluster
  • Configure bridges, NIC bonding and VLANs for HA and Ceph traffic
  • Deploy Ceph monitors, OSDs and pools and use RBD for VM storage
  • Set up HA for VMs and LXC containers with quorum and fencing
  • Back up and restore with Proxmox Backup Server
  • Build SDN zones with VLAN, VXLAN and QinQ
  • Integrate pfSense or OPNsense as the cluster's edge firewall
  • Upgrade cluster nodes safely
01

Cluster planning and networking

The longest sections cover planning (1h 13m) and HA networking (57m). You set up Linux bridges, NIC bonding, VLANs and dedicated networks for Ceph public and cluster traffic.

02

Ceph storage integration

Deploy Ceph monitors, managers, OSDs and pools across the nodes, then use Ceph RBD for VM disks and container volumes.

03

High availability in practice

Quorum, fencing and the HA manager are explained and then configured so VMs and LXC containers restart on surviving nodes.

04

Backup and disaster recovery

Proxmox Backup Server, NAS targets and restore procedures for single-node and full-cluster failures are covered in a 32-minute section.

05

Software-defined networking

Build VLAN, VXLAN and QinQ zones for segmentation and multi-tenant setups, and integrate pfSense or OPNsense as the edge firewall.

06

Real hardware

The course description says it uses real servers and mini PCs, with a final portable homelab project using Protectli, Beelink, pfSense and TrueNAS.

Udemy prices change often and courses are frequently on sale, so check today's price on the course page; Udemy says eligible courses can be refunded within 30 days of purchase, subject to its refund policy.

Who gets the most from it

Leaving VMware

An SMB sysadmin facing higher VMware costs uses the course to build a Proxmox and Ceph proof of concept on three spare servers before migrating production workloads.

A serious homelab

A homelab owner with three mini PCs follows the labs to get live migration, HA failover and nightly backups to Proxmox Backup Server.

Upskilling for an infrastructure role

An IT support engineer works through the course to gain hands-on clustering and storage experience to talk about in interviews.

How to get the most from it

  1. 1

    Check you have three machines or VMs with virtualization support and at least 8 GB RAM each

  2. 2

    Enroll on Udemy and watch the free preview lesson

  3. 3

    Work through the planning and networking sections before installing anything

  4. 4

    Build the cluster and Ceph in your lab, following each lecture

  5. 5

    Finish by testing failover and a full restore from backup

Enroll on Udemy

Proxmox VE: Build High Availability Cluster with Ceph (Lab) alternatives

ProductChoose it when
Proxmox VE: Build High Availability Cluster with Ceph (Lab) 4.4Sysadmins moving from VMware or Hyper-V to Proxmox
Proxmox VE Course: Virtualization, Clustering, Ceph and AI4.4Choose the broader Proxmox VE course if you are new to Proxmox and want single-node basics before clustering.
Mastering Proxmox (book)4.1Choose the book if you prefer a written reference to keep beside your lab.
Official Proxmox trainingChoose Proxmox's own instructor-led training if your employer wants vendor-run sessions.

Proxmox VE: Build High Availability Cluster with Ceph (Lab): frequently asked questions

How long is the Proxmox HA with Ceph course?+

It has 10 sections and 42 lectures, totaling 4 hours 51 minutes of video, and you can go at your own pace.

What hardware do I need?+

The course asks for at least three physical or virtual machines with Intel or AMD CPUs that support virtualization, 8 GB RAM per node (16 GB or more recommended for Ceph) and spare disks for Ceph pools.

Do I need Proxmox experience first?+

Prior KVM or VMware knowledge helps but is not required. You should understand IP addressing, VLANs and basic network setup.

Which Proxmox version does it use?+

The course is built around Proxmox VE 8 and was last updated in April 2026.

Who teaches this course?+

Amjid Ali, the founder of this site, who has a 4.4 instructor rating on Udemy across his courses.

Can I get a refund on Udemy?+

Udemy states that eligible courses can be refunded within 30 days, subject to its refund policy. Some purchases may only be refunded as credit.

Final verdict

4.4

Is Proxmox VE: Build High Availability Cluster with Ceph (Lab) worth it?

If you have three machines and want a cluster that survives a node failure, this course gives you a guided path from bare metal to tested failover and backups in an afternoon of video. Watch the free preview, check the hardware list, and enroll at whatever today's Udemy price is.

Enroll on Udemy

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AA

Reviewed by

Amjid Ali, Founder and editor

Amjid Ali is a Melbourne-based AI and automation lead, author of five books on infrastructure, automation and digital transformation, and a corporate trainer whose courses on n8n, Proxmox, firewalls and ERP have taught thousands of IT professionals.

Last updated 17 October 2026 · How we review

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