Techtronic - Home of Techno Tim

Deploying Machines with MaaS and Packer – Metal as a Service + Hashicorp Packer Tutorial

January 28, 2023January 28, 2023 Timothy StewartNo Comments

MaaS or Metal as a service from Canonical is a great way to provision bare metal machines as well as virtual machines. MaaS allows you to deploy Windows, Linux, ESXi, and many other operating systems to your systems helping you to build a bare metal cloud. You can even use Packer from Hashicorp to configure custom images too! We’ll cover all of this and more in this tutorial on how to install and configure MaaS from start to finish with Packer!

If you’re looking for the web version of this tutorial, you can find it here: https://docs.technotim.live/posts/metal-as-a-service-packer/

New Customer Exclusive – $25 Off ALL Processors: https://micro.center/3si

Check out Micro Center’s Custom PC Builder: https://micro.center/wcx

Submit your build to Micro Center’s Build Showcase: https://micro.center/dcm

Visit Micro Center’s Community Page: https://micro.center/2vr

Chapters

00:00 – What is MaaS (Metal as a Service) from Canonical?

02:00 – Micro Center / $25 Off CPUs! (Sponsor)

03:00 – Installing MaaS

06:56 – Initial MaaS Configuration

09:41 – Importing your SSH Key

10:23 – Networking Configuration & Discovery

14:05 – PXE & Network Boot with DHCP

15:33 – Commissioning a Machine (Initial Discovery)

18:45 – Power Types & Wake on LAN (WOL)

20:50 – Commissioning a Machine Part 2 (For real this time)

24:00 – Deploying Ubuntu

26:15 – SSH in to machine

26:54 – Creating Custom Images with Hashicorp Packer

33:40 – Uploading a Custom Image to MaaS

38:40 – What do I think of MaaS from Canonical?

39:57 – Stream Highlight – “100 + 50 subs dropped 🫳🎤”

⚙ Gear Recommendations ⚙

► https://l.technotim.live/gear

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The EASIEST way to Expand Your ZFS Pool in TrueNAS (But is it the Best?)

January 14, 2023January 14, 2023 Timothy StewartNo Comments

ZFS is a great file system that comes with TrueNAS and can meet all of your storage needs. But with it comes some complexity on how to manage and expand your ZFS storage pools. Over the last week I learned all about storage pools and how to move them, expand them, and even what not to do when trying to grow your storage pool. Join me as I figure out how to move a 20 TB pool to my new storage server with 100 TB of raw data.

📦 Products in this video 📦

Seagate Exos 14TB Drives https://amzn.to/3kaQnkN

Seagate IronWolf 8TB Drives https://amzn.to/3iGq3yH

See all of the storage I recommend in this kit!

https://kit.co/TechnoTim/best-ssd-hard-drive-flash-storage

(Affiliate links may be included in this description. I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.)

Chapters

00:00 – What are my options for expanding ZFS?

00:25 – Use ZFS Snapshot Replication (My First Attempt)

02:20 – Just Copy the Data to the New Pool (My Second Attempt)

03:01 – Expand the Pool by Replacing All Disks (My Third Attempt)

04:27 – Replacing All of the Drives & Resilvering

07:16 – Pool has Expanded!

07:43 – My Beef with ZFS and Recommendations

09:20 – Stream Highlight – This is how I got into this mess with ZFS…

A clip used in this video was from Tom Lawrence’s channel. Thanks Tom!

Links

⚙️ See all the hardware I recommend at https://l.technotim.live/gear

🚀 Don’t forget to check out the 🚀Launchpad repo with all of the quick start source files

Techno Tim HomeLab Services Tour (Late 2022) – What am I Self-Hosting in my HomeLab?

December 31, 2022December 31, 2022 Timothy StewartNo Comments

Wow, what a year of self-hosting! After showing off my Home Lab hardware in my late 2022 tour, many of you asked what services are self-hosted in this stack. This is always a moving target so I decided it was time to share which services I am running here at home. Today, we walk through everything I am hosting including: Dashboard, Hypervisor, Virtualization, Containerization, Network Attached Storage (NAS), DNS, Network Management, Home Security, Kubernetes, Kubernetes Storage, Docker, Reverse Proxy, Certificates, Monitoring, Logging, Syncing Data, File Sharing, Link Page, Link Shortening, Home Entertainment, Home Automation, Battery / UPS Monitoring, CMS, Static Site Generators, Dynamic DNS, CI/CD, Git Ops, Dev Ops, and many, many others. Enjoy the virtual tour!

Worth mentioning, I have videos on almost every service mentioned in this video!

Be sure to check out the 2022 HomeLab Hardware Tour!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzh3so5wOro

📦Want to see all the gear in this video? 📦
Check out the kit here:
https://kit.co/TechnoTim/techno-tim-homelab-tour-late-2022

★ Subscribe! https://l.technotim.live/subscribe
★ I’m Live on Twitch https://l.technotim.live/twitch
★ Get Help in Our Discord Community! https://l.technotim.live/discord
★ Subscribe to Techno Tim Talks! https://l.technotim.live/subscribe-ttt
★ Documentation found here https://l.technotim.live/docs

⚙ Gear Recommendations ⚙
► https://l.technotim.live/gear

(Affiliate links may be included in this description. I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.)

♦ Patreon https://l.technotim.live/patreon
♦ GitHub https://l.technotim.live/github
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00:00 – What is Techno Tim Self-Hosting?
01:05 – Dashboard
01:36 – Hypervisor
07:09 – Network Attached Storage
09:37 – DNS
11:48 – Network Management
13:05 – Home Security
13:42 – Containers (Kubernetes & Docker)
17:59 – -Kubernetes Storage
21:04 – Git Ops
22:35 – Reverse Proxy (Internal, External, and Ingress Controller)
25:26 – Monitoring
26:10 – Metrics & Data Visualization
27:02 – Logging
28:28 – Home Automation
30:08 – Data Synchronization
30:55 – Link Page (Contact Page)
31:41 – Link Shortener
32:24 – Home Entertainment
33:00 – UPS Battery Monitoring
33:37 – CMS (Content Management System)
34:25 – Websites (Static Sites & Custom Code)
34:46 – Dynamic DNS (External DNS)
35:16 – CI/CD (Continuous Integration & Continuous Delivery)
37:04 – Everything Else
37:41 – How do I get started self-hosting?
38:30 – Thanks for Watching

Techno Tim HomeLab Server Room Tour! (Late 2022)

December 24, 2022December 27, 2022 Timothy StewartNo Comments

Well, here it is! My Late 2022 Server Rack and HomeLab tour! This is a special one because I just revamped my entire rack. I’ve upgraded, replaced, added, and consolidated quite a bit since my last tour! New servers, new networking, new UPS, new power management, and even a whole entire wall of tech gear. I also added lots of automation and IoT devices! Join me as we walk through my server rack transfer and upgrade!

(Affiliate links are included in this description. I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.)

📦 Gear in this video 📦

Rack & Accessories

42u Rack https://amzn.to/3YIKlrq
18u Rack https://amzn.to/3WqNZVy
D Ring Hooks https://amzn.to/3FSxk5Y
1u Brush Panels https://amzn.to/3hKNiaf
1u Rack Mount Full Depth Shelf https://amzn.to/3jrm5Kp
Right Angle Extension Cord https://amzn.to/3Wl7gay
Black Outlet Covers https://amzn.to/3jrf7Vu

Network

Patch Panel https://amzn.to/3YIKtHq
Wall Mount Patch Panel https://amzn.to/3WyvnCk
Slim Network Cables – https://amzn.to/3kbYV85
UniFi Flex Mini – https://amzn.to/3BVV2NM
UDM SE – https://amzn.to/3VdeCf6
UDM Pro – https://amzn.to/3HXUvia
UniFi 48 Port Pro Switch Gen 2 – https://amzn.to/3FHbBxS

Servers & Accessories

SuperMicro 1u Servers – https://amzn.to/3YBQy8u
14 TB Exos Seagate Drives – https://amzn.to/3GbtXsk
NetApp DD4246 Disk Shelf – https://amzn.to/3o2AOKh
PC Conversion Case – https://amzn.to/3YGXx03
Smart ZigBee LED Controller – https://amzn.to/3jtCpKI
Cooler Master SickleFlow 120mm RGB Fans – https://amzn.to/3I68AtA
1 TB Samsung SSDs – https://amzn.to/3PPcedo

Accessories

Axxtra Power Strip – https://amzn.to/3qbzIhT
Eaton 5P1500R UPS – https://amzn.to/3OC2D90
Tripp Lite 2200VA 1920W UPS Smart 2U Rackmount – https://amzn.to/3XrnC2q
Tripp Lite BP36V15-2U Smart UPS 36V 2U Rackmount External Battery Pack – https://amzn.to/3XxwBzd
APC 1500VA UPS https://amzn.to/3GXLJh6
APC 600 VA UPS – https://amzn.to/3mMxsM1
Wall Control Galvanized Steel Pegboard – https://amzn.to/3bJ8R4s
HDHomeRun Network Tuner – https://amzn.to/3Gdkd0x
Hue Light Strip https://amzn.to/3I124o3
Hue Motion & Temp https://amzn.to/3qb1FXf
Hue v2 Dimmer Switch – https://amzn.to/3hH6pCh
Hue Smart Bulb Starter Kit – https://amzn.to/3jljCRA
Nest Protect – https://amzn.to/3hMZcR8
Cloud Lamp – https://amzn.to/3GZji24
Fire Extinguisher – https://amzn.to/3GeB2s4

Kit

See the entire kit here! https://kit.co/TechnoTim/techno-tim-homelab-tour-late-2022

Chapters

00:00 – What does Techno Tim’s HomeLab Look Like?

00:50 – HomeLab Music Video

02:13 – What’s all that stuff on the wall?

04:05 – New Server Rack

05:06 – Networking

07:13 – Smart PDU (Power in the front???)

10:36 – TBD Gear / Room for Growth

11:14 – 1u Servers

12:21 – Storinator

13:42 – PC Conversion Server

14:25 – Disk Shelf

15:27 – UPS

16:08 – Back of the Rack

17:08 – Power Channels

17:57 – Non Critical Power Devices

18:25 – Practical RGB Lighting (it has utility)

19:35 – Cable Management

20:51 – UPS Battery Extender

21:24 – Don’t be discouraged, Home Labs come in all shapes and sizes

23:05 – HomeLab Music Video Outro

Links

⚙️ See all the hardware I recommend at https://l.technotim.live/gear

🚀 Don’t forget to check out the 🚀Launchpad repo with all of the quick start source files

I’ll never run out of power! – Eaton and Tripp Lite UPS

November 26, 2022November 26, 2022 Timothy StewartNo Comments

Today I look at 2 (or 3 depending on how you count them) UPS systems from Tripp Lite and Eaton. These UPS devices couldn’t be any different but they are awesome nonetheless. Each has it’s own unique capabilities and features. Which on will you choose when looking for your next UPS? Join me as we walk through and review these type UPS systems and rack them in my new rack!

Huge THANK YOU to Eaton / Tripp Lite for sending these UPS systems. If you’re looking for a new UPS for home or work, you should totally check them out!

Tripp Lite

https://tripplite.eaton.com

Eaton

https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us/products/backup-power-ups-surge-it-power-distribution/backup-power-ups.html

Check out a variety of UPSes:

Tripp Lite 1500VA Smart UPS Back Up – https://amzn.to/3gEwbGG

Tripp Lite 2200VA 1920W UPS Smart 2U Rackmount – https://amzn.to/3XrnC2q

Tripp Lite BP36V15-2U Smart UPS 36V 2U Rackmount External Battery Pack – https://amzn.to/3XxwBzd

Tripp Lite SMART1500LCD 1500VA Smart UPS Battery Back Up – https://amzn.to/3VnIWny

Eaton 5P550R 5P 550 Rackmount – https://amzn.to/3UaLwwa

Eaton 5P Rackmount Compact 1500VA UPS – https://amzn.to/3OEJVhd

Eaton 5P1500R – https://amzn.to/3OC2D90

Eaton 5S1500LCD UPS – https://amzn.to/3GHXaf8

Be sure to check out (and star) David’s repo with an automated NUT server install!

⭐ https://github.com/dzomaya/NUTandRpi

## Chapters

00:00 – What should I protect with my UPS?

02:16 – Tripp Lite SmartPro UPS Review and Specs

03:24 – Tripp Lite 36v Battery Pack Review and Specs

04:29 – Tripp Lite SmartPro UPS Configuration

05:23 – Eaton 5P 1550 UPS Review and Specs

07:43 – Eaton 5P 1550 UPS Configuration

08:47 – Rack mounting the UPSes

10:53 – My Thoughts and Monitoring and Alerting Solutions

13:01 – Stream Highlight – “Testing in Production”

## Links

⚙️ See all the hardware I recommend at https://l.technotim.live/gear

🚀 Don’t forget to check out the 🚀Launchpad repo (https://l.technotim.live/quick-start) with all of the quick start source files

Best Server Rack for Your HomeLab? Sysracks Enclosed Rack!

November 12, 2022December 27, 2022 Timothy StewartNo Comments

I’ve been on a quest looking for a new server rack for my HomeLab in my home. I’ve outgrown my current 18u open frame rack and decided to give a 32u Sysracks Enclosed Rack a try! Join me as we put together this server rack, test out all of the features, and I’ll let you know my thoughts about this brand new server rack!

A HUGE thank you to Sysracks for sending me this rack!

Check out their selection of racks at https://sysracks.com

A HUGE thank you to Micro Center for sponsoring this video!

New Customer Exclusive – Free 256GB SSD In-Store: https://micro.center/yi0

Check out Micro Center’s Custom PC Builder: https://micro.center/3dq

Submit your build to Micro Center’s Build Showcase: https://micro.center/lsn

Shop Micro Center’s Black Friday Deals: https://micro.center/rgu

📦 See a collection of Sysracks racks here:
https://kit.co/TechnoTim/sysracks-server-racks

Chapters

00:00 – Why get a new Server Rack?

01:14 – Sysracks 32u Server & Features

02:22 – Micro Center (Sponsor)

03:35 – Assembling the Rack

07:38 – Exploring the Rack Features

09:39 – Checking Out the Temperature Control Unit

11:04 – My Thoughts About the Sysracks Server Rack

13:42 – Stream Highlight – “The grow room isn’t big enough for 2 racks!”

I Put RGB Fans in My Server and I am NOT Apologizing

October 22, 2022December 27, 2022 Timothy StewartNo Comments

My Storinator server from 45Drives is great, except for 1 thing. It’s a little loud for my home. It would be fine if it were in a data center or a real network closet, however this is in my basement. I decided to swap out all the fans to make it quieter, and install RGB fans along with a ZigBee controller so I can control them with Home Automation!

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★ Get Help in Our Discord Community! https://l.technotim.live/discord

★ Subscribe to Techno Tim Talks! https://l.technotim.live/subscribe-ttt

★ Documentation found here https://l.technotim.live/docs

__________________________________________

HUGE THANK YOU to Micro Center for Sponsoring this Video!

New Customers Exclusive – Get $25 off your purchase of any AMD and Intel Processor (limit one per customer): https://micro.center/1z7

Check out Micro Center’s PC Builder: https://micro.center/mrp

Submit your build to Micro Center’s Build Showcase: https://micro.center/ow4

__________________________________________

Thanks again to 45drives for the Storinator!

https://45drives.com

📦See all the parts in this kit here! 📦

https://kit.co/TechnoTim/smart-rgb-fan-conversation

⚙ Gear Recommendations ⚙

► https://l.technotim.live/gear

(Affiliate links may be included in this description. I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.)

__________________________________________

♦ Patreon https://l.technotim.live/patreon

♦ GitHub https://l.technotim.live/github

♦ Twitch https://l.technotim.live/twitch

♦ Twitter https://l.technotim.live/twitter

♦ Discord https://l.technotim.live/discord

♦ Instagram https://l.technotim.live/instagram

♦ Facebook https://l.technotim.live/facebook

♦ TikTok https://l.technotim.live/tiktok

__________________________________________

00:00 – Making My Server Quiet

02:13 – Micro Center (Sponsor)

03:18 – Taking the Server Apart

04:17 – Changing the CPU Cooler

05:02 – How to Add Smart RGB to a Server

06:07 – Wiring Up the ZigBee Controller and Fans

07:20 – Testing and Pairing the ZigBee Controller

08:08 – Why Put RGB Fans in a Server?

08:42 – How Much Quieter Is It?

09:13 – What’s Next for the Server?

09:33 – Stream Highlight – I will buy an LTT Screwdriver

#HomeLab #RGB

__________________________________________

Videos

Craft Computing – One Terabyte of RAM for the CRAFTINATOR!

Jeff Geerling

The Petabyte Pi Project

Level1Techs

Data Recovery PTSD: Prep for 45 Drives Offsite Backup

__________________________________________

Thank you for watching!

Wildcard Certificates with Traefik + cert-manager + Let’s Encrypt in Kubernetes Tutorial

August 6, 2022December 27, 2022 Timothy StewartNo Comments

Traefik, cert-manager, Cloudflare, and Let’s Encrypt are a winning combination when it comes to securing your services with certificates in Kubernetes. Today, we’ll install and configure Traefik, the cloud native proxy and load balancer, as our Kubernetes Ingress Controller. We’ll then install and configure cert-manager to manage certificates for our cluster. We’ll set up Let’s Encrypt as our Cluster Issuer so that cert-manager can automatically provision TLS certificates and even wildcard certificates using Cloudflare DNS challenge absolutely free. We’ll walk through all of this, step by step, so you can help secure your cluster today.

A HUGE thanks to Datree for sponsoring this video!

Combat misconfigurations. Empower engineers.

https://www.datree.io

★ Subscribe! https://l.technotim.live/subscribe

★ I’m Live on Twitch https://l.technotim.live/twitch

★ Get Help in Our Discord Community! https://l.technotim.live/discord

★ Subscribe to Techno Tim Talks! https://l.technotim.live/subscribe-ttt

★ Documentation found here https://l.technotim.live/docs

__________________________________________

⚙ Gear Recommendations ⚙

► https://l.technotim.live/gear

(Affiliate links may be included in this description. I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.)

__________________________________________

♦ Patreon https://l.technotim.live/patreon

♦ GitHub https://l.technotim.live/github

♦ Twitch https://l.technotim.live/twitch

♦ Twitter https://l.technotim.live/twitter

♦ Discord https://l.technotim.live/discord

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__________________________________________

Monitoring & Beautiful Dashboards with Grafana and Prometheus on Kubernetes

July 23, 2022December 27, 2022 Timothy StewartNo Comments

The past few weeks I’ve been configuring my metrics and monitoring system in my home cluster with Prometheus and Grafana. Grafana and Prometheus are a powerful monitoring solution. It allows you to visualize, query, and alert metrics no matter where they are stored. Today, we’ll install and configure Prometheus and Grafana in Kubernetes using kube-prometheus-stack. By the end of this tutorial you be able to observe and visualize your entire Kubernetes cluster with Grafana and Prometheus.

A HUGE thanks to Datree for sponsoring this video!

Combat misconfigurations. Empower engineers.

https://www.datree.io

⚙ Gear Recommendations ⚙
► https://l.technotim.live/gear

Will 10 Gigabit work with Cat5e? – 10Gbe HomeLab Network Upgrade!

July 9, 2022December 27, 2022 Timothy StewartNo Comments

After deciding to upgrade my “old” 24 PoE switch to a new 48 port PoE switch with 4 SFP+ ports, I decided to check to see if my old house with old Cat5e network wiring will work at 10 gigabit speeds! If this works, I will have a 10 Gbe network connection from my PCs to my HomeLab server rack!