The Proxmox ecosystem has just taken an important step forward with the release of Proxmox Datacenter Manager 1.0, the first stable version of its centralized management platform. The tool is designed to solve a very specific problem: how to operate, monitor, and scale dozens of Proxmox VE nodes and clusters and Proxmox Backup Server instances spread across multiple data centers and locations, without losing visibility or increasing operational complexity.
For companies already using Proxmox-based infrastructure —such as Stackscale customers with dedicated platforms and clusters in high-availability data centers— this release opens the door to a management model much closer to what tools like VMware vCenter have historically offered, while preserving the open-source philosophy and flexibility of the Proxmox ecosystem.
What is Proxmox Datacenter Manager?
Proxmox Datacenter Manager (PDM) is a “single pane of glass” platform designed to monitor and manage multiple, independent Proxmox environments from a single control point. From that central console you can see nodes, clusters, virtual machines, containers, storage, and backup datastores, even if they are spread across different data centers or remote locations.
Instead of logging manually into each Proxmox VE cluster or each Proxmox Backup Server instance, PDM aggregates metrics, states, and alerts, and lets you perform basic operations on resources from a unified view. It does not aim to completely replace the classic Proxmox VE interface, but it does become the top governance and multi-cluster orchestration layer.
Technically, Proxmox Datacenter Manager 1.0 is built on Debian 13.2 “Trixie,” a Linux 6.17 kernel, and ZFS 2.3, and it is developed in Rust end to end (backend, CLI, and the new Yew-based web UI framework). The result is a modern platform focused on performance, security, and long-term maintainability.
Key technical capabilities of PDM 1.0
While the most visible change is the global view across all clusters, version 1.0 ships with a set of features that are highly relevant for enterprise environments and infrastructure providers like Stackscale and their customers’ platforms:
1. Centralized view and metrics aggregation
PDM lets you register multiple “remotes” (Proxmox VE nodes and clusters and backup servers) and display their global health status on a single dashboard: CPU usage, RAM, storage I/O, capacity, alerts, and critical KPIs. It also caches data locally, so you keep the latest snapshot of the environment even if a remote becomes temporarily unavailable.
For a customer with several Proxmox clusters spread across different racks or Stackscale data centers, this makes it easy to answer at a glance questions like: “Where do I have free capacity?”, “Which cluster is under the most pressure?”, or “How are the metrics of a critical service evolving across all sites?”.
2. Multi-cluster management and live migration across clusters
One of PDM’s strongest points is its multi-cluster management and the ability to perform live migrations of virtual machines between independent clusters, without service disruption. This allows you to:
- Rebalance load across clusters when one approaches its limit.
- Carry out planned maintenance without downtime windows.
- Implement high-availability scenarios across data centers with much greater flexibility.
On Proxmox platforms hosted at Stackscale, this fits perfectly with designs where a customer has multiple dedicated clusters (for example, production and pre-production in different racks or even different data centers) and wants to move workloads between them without manual export/import processes.
3. Basic VM and container lifecycle from a single panel
From Proxmox Datacenter Manager you can start, stop, reboot, and perform basic operations on VMs, containers, and storage resources on different remotes, without jumping between interfaces. The tool also centralizes task and log history, which simplifies auditing and compliance in regulated environments.
For systems teams, this means less time spent on scattered “clickops” and more capacity to standardize operational procedures, scripts, and automations around a single API.
4. Advanced search and custom views
The integrated search uses a syntax inspired by languages like Elasticsearch or GitHub’s query language, allowing you to filter resources by type (VM, container, remote, etc.), state (running, stopped, etc.), or tags. In environments with thousands of virtual guests, quickly locating a problematic VM or a specific datastore is no longer a challenge.
On top of that, PDM lets you create custom “views” —dashboards focused by remote, resource type, tags, internal customer, and more— and bind them to specific roles. A development team, for example, can have its own view of resources without seeing or touching the rest of the infrastructure.
5. Integration with Proxmox Backup Server and SDN (EVPN)
Version 1.0 includes full integration with Proxmox Backup Server: you can view datastores, namespaces, and backup snapshots in dedicated panels, along with usage and performance metrics. This makes it easier to monitor the state of backups globally, which is especially important in multi-site disaster recovery strategies.
On the networking side, PDM introduces initial Software-Defined Networking (SDN) capabilities with EVPN, allowing you to configure zones and VNets across multiple remotes from a single interface. For architectures with L2/L3 overlays distributed across data centers, this is key to maintaining configuration consistency.
6. Security, authentication, and access governance
Proxmox Datacenter Manager supports authentication via LDAP, Active Directory, and OpenID Connect, as well as tokens and 2FA. It combines identity support with a very granular role-based access control (RBAC) system: you can grant access to specific views without giving direct access to the underlying nodes or virtual machines.
In multi-tenant environments or organizations with highly segmented teams (development, security, operations, business), this helps balance operational visibility with the principle of least privilege.
7. Centralized update management and remote shell access
The platform adds a centralized update panel showing repository status and pending packages across all connected Proxmox VE and Proxmox Backup Server instances. From there, you can trigger updates using PDM’s new remote shell capabilities, without opening separate sessions to each node.
For providers like Stackscale or for their customers who manage their own Proxmox platform, this global view of patch status significantly reduces the risk of running desynchronized clusters or leaving vulnerabilities unpatched somewhere in the environment.
What does Proxmox Datacenter Manager bring to Stackscale customers?
Stackscale customers already running platforms based on Proxmox VE and Proxmox Backup Server —whether in self-managed mode or as a managed service— gain several clear benefits when they add Proxmox Datacenter Manager to their architecture:
Unified multi–data center, multi-cluster view
Instead of treating each Proxmox cluster as a “silo,” PDM gives an end-to-end view of the distributed infrastructure: dedicated clusters in different racks, redundant data centers, nodes specifically for AI workloads or databases, and even Proxmox environments running on-premises at the customer’s facilities and connected to Stackscale through dedicated links or VPN.
This global view helps with:
- Capacity planning and scale-out decisions.
- Early detection of CPU, RAM, or I/O bottlenecks.
- Prioritizing hardware investments where they have the most impact.
Workload mobility across clusters and data centers
Live migration across clusters, combined with Stackscale’s network and inter–data center connectivity options, unlocks interesting scenarios:
- Moving production workloads to a more powerful cluster without downtime.
- Draining clusters to perform hardware migrations or generational refreshes.
- Preparing moves between data centers as part of a resilience strategy or an orderly exit from a given facility.
All of this with a unified operational experience, instead of treating each move as a separate manual project.
Better governance, auditing, and multi-tenant operation
In organizations where different departments share the same Stackscale-based Proxmox platform, Proxmox Datacenter Manager helps to:
- Define specific views for each business unit, project, or internal customer.
- Limit the scope of operations by role (for example, allowing a development team to start/stop VMs in its own scope, but not touch shared network or storage).
- Centralize logs and tasks, improving traceability of who did what, where, and when.
This fits especially well in mission-critical environments where regulatory compliance, separation of duties, and auditing are non-negotiable.
More efficient day-to-day operations
For teams managing dozens or hundreds of Proxmox nodes at Stackscale, the combination of:
- Advanced search,
- A unified task panel,
- Centralized updates,
- Shell access from a single console,
reduces friction in day-to-day work. Routine tasks take less time, and there are fewer errors caused by juggling multiple interfaces.
Typical use cases in Stackscale environments
Some examples of how Proxmox Datacenter Manager can fit into real-world architectures on top of Stackscale:
Multi-site private cloud with DR
A company deploys dedicated Proxmox clusters in two Stackscale data centers and maintains a third site as a disaster recovery location. With PDM, all three environments are managed from the same panel, with the ability to migrate workloads between clusters and monitor the state of remote backups and datastores.
Consolidation after a VMware migration
After changes to VMware’s licensing and strategy, many organizations are looking for open alternatives with more predictable costs. Proxmox, combined with a specialized provider like Stackscale, has become one of the go-to options. Proxmox Datacenter Manager acts as the missing piece to comfortably operate multiple Proxmox clusters that replace previous VMware environments.
Hybrid on-premises + Stackscale environments
A customer maintains small Proxmox clusters in branches or plants, and a backbone of more powerful clusters hosted at Stackscale for core workloads. PDM lets them manage both ends —edge and core— from the same platform, with aggregated metrics and coordinated operations.
Deployment and support considerations
Proxmox Datacenter Manager 1.0 is available as an ISO image that can be installed on bare metal or on top of an existing Debian installation, and it is distributed as free software under the GNU AGPLv3 license. For production environments, Proxmox offers subscriptions with access to enterprise repositories and certified technical support.
For Stackscale customers, the most common options are:
- Deploying PDM as a dedicated VM (or bare-metal node) within their own Proxmox platform at Stackscale.
- Integrating it with corporate directory services (LDAP/AD/OIDC) and existing security policies.
- Defining, together with the Stackscale team, a strategy for views, roles, and permissions aligned with how systems, development, and business teams are organized.
As a first stable release, it makes sense to start with a well-scoped pilot —for example, connecting a few non-critical clusters— and then evolve toward full management of the entire Proxmox footprint as the organization gains confidence in the tool. At Stackscale we can already help you with the deployment and maintenance of your own Proxmox Datacenter Manager instance, so feel free to reach out.
Quick summary for administrators
- What it is: an open-source, centralized management platform for Proxmox VE and Proxmox Backup Server, built on Debian 13.2, Linux kernel 6.17, ZFS 2.3, and developed in Rust.
- Problem it solves: lack of global visibility and unified operations in environments with multiple clusters and distributed nodes.
- Key technical features: aggregated metrics, RBAC-driven custom views, advanced search, live migration between clusters, centralized update panel, SDN with EVPN, and integration with Proxmox Backup Server.
- Value for Stackscale customers: makes it easier to operate multi-cluster, multi–data center Proxmox platforms, improve workload mobility, strengthen governance and auditing, and reduce the time spent on routine operational tasks.
For organizations that already trust Proxmox running on Stackscale infrastructure —or that are planning a migration from other virtualization platforms— Proxmox Datacenter Manager 1.0 becomes a strategic building block to professionalize environment management without giving up open-source principles or infrastructure sovereignty.
