Infrastructure Requirements for Virtualization Workloads
Running containerized environments and virtualization platforms isn't something you can wing. We've learned this the hard way after setting up dozens of production systems across Bangkok and beyond. The hardware matters, the network configuration matters, and honestly, your security posture matters more than most people think.
These specifications come from actual deployments we've handled since early 2024. They're not theoretical – they're what we found necessary when things need to work properly under real-world pressure.
Server Hardware Baseline
Processor Requirements
- Minimum: 4 physical cores with virtualization extensions enabled (Intel VT-x or AMD-V)
- Recommended: 8+ cores for production clusters
- Hyper-threading should be enabled for container orchestration workloads
- Clock speed matters less than core count – we've seen better results with more cores at lower frequencies
Memory Configuration
- Base system: 16GB RAM minimum for hypervisor and management overhead
- Per VM allocation: Budget 2-4GB per guest depending on workload
- ECC memory recommended for production – non-ECC acceptable for development
- Leave 20% headroom; don't allocate every last megabyte
Storage Architecture
Local Storage
- Boot drives: NVMe SSDs (minimum 256GB) for host OS and hypervisor
- VM storage: Separate SSD pool with 500GB+ capacity
- Avoid spinning disks for VM workloads – the IOPS penalty hurts too much
- RAID configurations: RAID 1 for boot, RAID 10 for VM storage if using hardware RAID
Network Storage Options
- iSCSI targets work fine with dedicated 10GbE connections
- NFS shares acceptable for read-heavy workloads
- Latency target: under 5ms for storage network round-trip
- Multipath configurations recommended for redundancy
Platform Compatibility Matrix
Linux Distributions
Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS or newer, RHEL 8.x+, Debian 11+, Rocky Linux 8.x+ all tested and confirmed working in production
Container Runtimes
Docker Engine 20.10+, containerd 1.6+, CRI-O 1.23+ supported. Podman compatible for rootless configurations
Orchestration Layers
Kubernetes 1.26+, Docker Swarm, Nomad 1.4+. We can work with whatever cluster manager fits your architecture
Network Infrastructure Specifications
| Network Component | Minimum Spec | Recommended | Critical for Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management Network | 1GbE dedicated VLAN | Bonded 1GbE pair (LACP) | |
| VM Traffic Network | 1GbE shared | 10GbE dedicated | |
| Storage Network | 1GbE isolated | 10GbE with jumbo frames | |
| Live Migration Network | 1GbE isolated VLAN | 10GbE dedicated path | |
| Internet Gateway | 100Mbps symmetric | 1Gbps fiber connection | |
| IPv6 Support | Optional | Dual-stack configuration |
Security and Access Control Standards
Network Isolation
Separate VLANs for management, production, and storage traffic. Firewall rules between zones with explicit allow lists rather than implicit trust.
Authentication Requirements
SSH key-based authentication mandatory for all administrative access. Password authentication disabled on production hosts. Multi-factor optional but encouraged.
TLS Configuration
TLS 1.2 minimum for all API endpoints. TLS 1.3 preferred where supported. Self-signed certificates acceptable for internal networks with proper CA management.
Update Policies
Security patches applied within 72 hours of release for critical vulnerabilities. Monthly maintenance windows for non-critical updates and kernel upgrades.
Ready to Build Your Infrastructure?
We can help audit your existing setup or design a new environment from scratch. Most projects kick off with a consultation where we map out what you're actually trying to accomplish.
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