Table of Contents

Infrastructure

This section covers infrastructure topics including virtualization, containers, operating systems, monitoring, automation, and disaster recovery. Whether you're building a home lab, managing enterprise infrastructure, or exploring cloud architectures, you'll find comprehensive guides and best practices here.

Cloud Infrastructure Architecture

Modern infrastructure typically follows patterns of high availability, security, and scalability. Below are visualizations of common cloud infrastructure architectures.

Basic Cloud Infrastructure

The following diagram illustrates a basic three-tier web application hosted in the cloud:

flowchart TB
    subgraph Internet
        client[Client Devices]
    end

    subgraph Cloud Provider
        subgraph "Public Subnet"
            lb[Load Balancer]
            waf[Web Application Firewall]
        end
        
        subgraph "Private Subnet"
            web1[Web Server 1]
            web2[Web Server 2]
            web3[Web Server 3]
        end
        
        subgraph "Database Subnet"
            db[(Database)]
            cache[(Cache)]
        end
    end
    
    client --> lb
    lb --> waf
    waf --> web1
    waf --> web2
    waf --> web3
    web1 --> db
    web2 --> db
    web3 --> db
    web1 --> cache
    web2 --> cache
    web3 --> cache
    
    classDef public fill:#ffcccc,stroke:#ff0000
    classDef private fill:#ccffcc,stroke:#00cc00
    classDef database fill:#ccccff,stroke:#0000ff
    
    class lb,waf public
    class web1,web2,web3 private
    class db,cache database

High Availability Architecture

For critical applications, a multi-availability zone architecture ensures high availability:

flowchart TB
    subgraph Internet
        client[Client Devices]
        cdn[Content Delivery Network]
    end

    subgraph "Cloud Region"
        subgraph "Availability Zone 1"
            subgraph "Public Subnet AZ1"
                lb1[Load Balancer]
                waf1[WAF]
            end
            
            subgraph "Private Subnet AZ1"
                web1[Web Server]
                app1[App Server]
            end
            
            subgraph "Data Subnet AZ1"
                db1[(Primary DB)]
                cache1[(Cache)]
            end
        end
        
        subgraph "Availability Zone 2"
            subgraph "Public Subnet AZ2"
                lb2[Load Balancer]
                waf2[WAF]
            end
            
            subgraph "Private Subnet AZ2"
                web2[Web Server]
                app2[App Server]
            end
            
            subgraph "Data Subnet AZ2"
                db2[(Replica DB)]
                cache2[(Cache)]
            end
        end
        
        glb[Global Load Balancer]
    end
    
    client --> cdn
    cdn --> glb
    glb --> lb1
    glb --> lb2
    lb1 --> waf1
    lb2 --> waf2
    waf1 --> web1
    waf2 --> web2
    web1 --> app1
    web2 --> app2
    app1 --> db1
    app2 --> db1
    app1 --> cache1
    app2 --> cache2
    db1 <--> db2
    
    classDef public fill:#ffcccc,stroke:#ff0000
    classDef private fill:#ccffcc,stroke:#00cc00
    classDef database fill:#ccccff,stroke:#0000ff
    classDef global fill:#ffffcc,stroke:#ffcc00
    
    class lb1,lb2,waf1,waf2 public
    class web1,web2,app1,app2 private
    class db1,db2,cache1,cache2 database
    class cdn,glb global

Topics

  • Ansible - Configuration management and automation
  • Containers - Docker and Kubernetes
  • Diagrams - Infrastructure diagrams and architecture visualization
  • Disaster Recovery - Business continuity and disaster recovery planning
  • Grafana - Monitoring and observability dashboards
  • Home Lab - Home lab notes and setup guides
  • KQL - Kusto Query Language for log analysis
  • Linux - Linux system administration and configuration
  • Prometheus - Metrics collection and monitoring
  • Proxmox - Managing Proxmox for a home lab environment
  • SQL - Database administration and SQL queries
  • Terraform - Infrastructure as Code with Terraform
  • Windows - Windows server administration and configuration

Getting Started

Learning Paths

Choose your learning path based on your goals and current experience level:

🏠 Home Lab Enthusiast

Perfect for learning and experimentation in a home environment:

  1. Start with Home Lab setup and planning
  2. Install Proxmox for virtualization
  3. Deploy Containers for application hosting
  4. Set up monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana
  5. Automate deployments with Ansible

🏢 Enterprise Infrastructure

For production environments and enterprise deployments:

  1. Plan Disaster Recovery strategies
  2. Implement Infrastructure as Code with Terraform
  3. Set up comprehensive monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana
  4. Master Linux and Windows administration
  5. Analyze logs and metrics with KQL

☁️ Cloud Native Developer

For modern application deployment and container orchestration:

  1. Master Docker containers fundamentals
  2. Learn Kubernetes orchestration
  3. Implement Terraform for cloud infrastructure
  4. Automate with Ansible configuration management
  5. Visualize systems with Diagrams

📊 DevOps and Monitoring

Focus on observability, automation, and operations:

  1. Deploy Prometheus for metrics collection
  2. Create dashboards with Grafana
  3. Query logs effectively with KQL
  4. Automate operations with Ansible
  5. Plan for Disaster Recovery

Prerequisites

Before diving into infrastructure management, ensure you have the following:

Knowledge Requirements

  • Networking Fundamentals: IP addressing, subnets, DNS, firewalls
  • Command Line Proficiency: Comfortable with terminal/command prompt
  • Basic Virtualization Concepts: VMs, hypervisors, resource allocation
  • Version Control: Git basics for configuration management

Hardware Requirements (for Home Lab)

  • CPU: 8+ cores (Intel i7/i9, AMD Ryzen 7/9, or server-grade)
  • Memory: 32GB+ RAM (64GB+ recommended for extensive virtualization)
  • Storage:
    • 500GB+ NVMe SSD for OS and VMs
    • Additional storage for data and backups
  • Network: Gigabit Ethernet, managed switch recommended

Essential Software Tools

  • SSH Client: PuTTY, OpenSSH, or built-in terminal
  • Code Editor: VS Code, Vim, or your preferred editor
  • Git: For version control and configuration management
  • Web Browser: For accessing web interfaces (Proxmox, Grafana, etc.)

Quick Start Guides

🚀 15-Minute Container Setup

Get your first container running quickly:

# Install Docker (Ubuntu/Debian)
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# Run your first container
docker run -d --name web-server -p 8080:80 nginx
docker ps
# Access http://localhost:8080

⚡ Home Lab in 30 Minutes

Basic Proxmox setup for beginners:

  1. Download Proxmox VE ISO from proxmox.com
  2. Create bootable USB with Rufus or Etcher
  3. Install Proxmox following the Proxmox guide
  4. Access web interface at https://your-server-ip:8006
  5. Create your first VM using the web interface

📈 Monitoring Stack Setup

Deploy Prometheus and Grafana monitoring:

# Using Docker Compose
git clone https://github.com/prometheus/prometheus
cd prometheus/documentation/examples/prometheus-grafana
docker-compose up -d

# Access Grafana at http://localhost:3000 (admin/admin)

Common Use Cases

Development Environment

  • Containers: Isolated development environments
  • Virtual Machines: Testing different OS configurations
  • Automation: Consistent environment provisioning

Production Infrastructure

  • High Availability: Multi-zone deployments with load balancing
  • Monitoring: Comprehensive observability stack
  • Disaster Recovery: Backup and recovery procedures
  • Security: Proper network segmentation and access controls

Learning Laboratory

  • Technology Exploration: Safe environment for testing
  • Certification Prep: Hands-on practice for cloud certifications
  • Open Source Projects: Contributing to infrastructure projects

Additional Resources

  1. Foundation: Start with Linux or Windows administration
  2. Virtualization: Set up Proxmox or learn Containers
  3. Automation: Implement Ansible for configuration management
  4. Infrastructure as Code: Master Terraform for reproducible deployments
  5. Monitoring: Deploy Prometheus and Grafana
  6. Advanced Topics: Explore KQL for log analysis and Disaster Recovery

Community and Support

  • Documentation: Each topic includes comprehensive guides and examples
  • Best Practices: Industry-standard approaches and configurations
  • Troubleshooting: Common issues and solutions for each technology
  • Updates: Regular content updates reflecting current best practices

Contributing

Found an error or want to improve the documentation? See our contribution guidelines and help make this resource better for everyone.

Ready to build robust, scalable infrastructure? Choose your path above and start your journey today!

Next Steps

Edit this page