Proxmox, the open source VMware alternative, has unveiled a stable version of its Datacenter Manager solution – weeks after its Virtual Environment offering drew disquiet over security vulnerabilities

Datacenter Manager is designed to help manage individual Proxmox-based nodes and clusters from a single pane. Users can connect multiple "remotes" (clusters and nodes) to aggregate detailed performance metrics, including information on CPUs, RAM, and storage I/O.

Arguably, the most integral addition to Version 1.0 is the ability for live migration of virtual machines (VMs) between different clusters – moving running VMs while ensuring zero downtime. Such capabilities feature in VMware’s vMotion offering, but Proxmox added the capability to its platform from the get-go as it looks to entice disgruntled customers from the industry incumbent.

"The modern infrastructure landscape demands adaptability, from data centers to edge locations. Organizations need tools that evolve alongside their business,” said Tim Marx, COO at Proxmox. “Proxmox Datacenter Manager is designed as a key building block within our expanding ecosystem, empowering customers with the right solution for every stage of their journey.”

Also with Proxmox’s Datacenter Manager, users can perform routine administrative tasks like configuring VMs, containers, and storage resources directly from the central interface. Data can be filtered by everything from resource type (remote, VM, container) to status (stopped, running, etc.), as well as custom tags, enabling users to find the right diagnostic data even across stacks containing thousands of virtual guests.

Version 1.0 also allows user permissions, and task histories can be centralized as logs to simplify auditing and meet compliance requirements. In addition, all data is cached locally, maintaining offline visibility of the last known state.

There’s also what Proxmox described as “a highly intuitive and powerful search functionality,” with users able to filter and locate resources using query languages similar to those used in platforms like Elasticsearch.

“By choosing the Proxmox ecosystem, organizations unlock a wide range of deployment options,” Marx added. “From high-performance setups at hyperscalers to distributed branch offices that maintain data sovereignty, our consistent commitment to openness ensures long-term interoperability and real freedom of choice for customers and partners.”

Surging popularity as VMware alternative undercut by security concerns

While Proxmox's Datacenter Manager Version 1.0 provides relatively basic management for virtual machines and containers, it crucially offers what some customers seeking a VMware alternative actually want, without forcing them to pay for unwanted or unused software features – a substantial draw for some administrators facing the prospect of adopting the VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) platform.

In recent weeks, there’s been a “massive increase” in deployments of Proxmox’s VE offering, according to a report from RunZero.

But alongside that rise comes fears of potential vulnerabilities. RunZero said it has detected sizable uses of out-of-date and end-of-life installations of Proxmox software – with just a small percentage of users keeping up with the latest patches.

Proxmox offerings are linked with the release schedule for the open-source operating system (OS) Debian, and RunZero encouraged users to run an asset inventory to find outdated instances of the software in order to avoid security vulnerabilities.

“The entire operating system no longer receives security updates, not just the Proxmox VE software,” RunZero founder HD Moore wrote in early November. “This means that every new vulnerability in Debian may also impact these older versions, including supporting services like OpenSSH.”