The open-source tool ProxLB introduces DRS-like functionality, maintenance mode, and affinity rules for Proxmox virtualization clusters
The open-source virtualization ecosystem centered around Proxmox VE (Virtual Environment) continues to evolve, and with the release of version 1.1.0 of ProxLB by Florian Paul Azim Hoberg (aka @gyptazy), administrators now have access to a powerful cluster-wide load balancing solution that brings enterprise-grade features long associated with VMware into reach for Proxmox users.
ProxLB is a fully open-source load balancer that dynamically redistributes virtual machines (VMs) and containers (CTs) across nodes in a Proxmox cluster based on resource consumption — including CPU, memory, and local disk — thereby improving performance, preventing overprovisioning, and enabling streamlined operations.
Bringing DRS-Like Intelligence to Proxmox
One of the key limitations of Proxmox VE compared to proprietary platforms like VMware has been the lack of a native Dynamic Resource Scheduler (DRS). ProxLB fills this gap by continuously evaluating cluster-wide metrics and performing intelligent rebalancing actions according to user-defined thresholds and rules.
The latest release adds support for maintenance mode, tag-based affinity and anti-affinity rules, full integration with the Proxmox API (including ACL support), and compatibility with CI/CD tools like Ansible and Terraform. These capabilities allow ProxLB to make workload placement decisions securely and without relying on SSH access.
What’s more, ProxLB is modular in deployment: it can run as a one-time script, as a background daemon, or integrated with the Proxmox Web GUI (support planned in future updates).
Key Features of ProxLB 1.1.0
- Dynamic VM/CT rebalancing based on memory, CPU, and local disk usage
- Maintenance mode: migrate all workloads off a node for safe updates
- Affinity / Anti-affinity tags: fine-grained control over VM grouping and separation
- No SSH required: full use of Proxmox API with ACL compliance
- Multi-platform support: available as
.debpackages, Docker containers, or source code - CI/CD-ready: exposes next-best-node logic for provisioning tools
- Open-source licensing: completely free under GPLv3
Technical Summary for System Administrators
ProxLB at a glance:
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Language | Python 3.x |
| Deployment methods | .deb, Docker, or from source |
| Dependencies | proxmoxer, requests, pyyaml, urllib3 |
| Cluster input | Hosts, users, tokens via Proxmox API |
| Balancing criteria | CPU, Memory, Local Disk (read from API) |
| Execution modes | Dry-run, JSON mode, daemon, scheduled execution |
| Affinity support | Tag-based: plb_affinity_*, plb_anti_affinity_*, plb_ignore_* |
| Maintenance support | Defined nodes can automatically evacuate all VMs |
| Security | API token authentication, no SSH required |
| Node filtering | Supports ignore lists and overprovisioning controls |
| Integration ready | Terraform/Ansible compatible with --best-node |
| Support & Community | GitHub Issues, Matrix, Discord, documentation via docs/ |
| Project site | GitHub – ProxLB |
A Smarter Proxmox, Community-Powered
With ProxLB, Proxmox administrators now have access to advanced orchestration capabilities typically reserved for enterprise platforms. The ability to automate VM migrations based on resource imbalances, enforce workload distribution rules, and gracefully manage node maintenance makes this tool an essential addition to any serious Proxmox deployment.
The project’s open-source nature and active development community ensure transparency, continuous improvements, and real-world compatibility across diverse infrastructure scenarios.
Whether managing a small Proxmox lab or a high-availability enterprise datacenter, ProxLB 1.1.0 empowers sysadmins to optimize resource utilization, reduce manual intervention, and prepare their virtualization stack for the future.
More information, configuration examples, and installation methods are available at the official GitHub repository: https://github.com/gyptazy/ProxLB
