Upwork Job Post – Senior Proxmox / PBS / NAS / Monitoring Consultant

We are looking for a senior system administrator / infrastructure consultant with strong hands-on experience in Proxmox VE, Proxmox Backup Server, NAS storage integration, VLAN networking, VPN-based access, and preferably Prometheus / Grafana monitoring. We already have a working Proxmox environment with backup jobs configured, but we need an experienced consultant to review, improve and extend the current infrastructure. Access to the environment will be provided only through VPN. Current Infrastructure: Server A: Proxmox VE node Server B: Proxmox VE node + Proxmox Backup Server Buffalo NAS 10G with around 7 TB available for secondary backup storage Existing VLANs: VLAN 355: Proxmox management VLAN 357: DEV / VM network Other service VLANs The backup system is already working and backup status notifications are currently sent by email. We need to review and improve the overall configuration. Main Activities Required 1. Configure NAS storage for secondary backup We need to configure the Buffalo NAS as a reliable secondary backup storage target. The consultant should review the best approach between: iSCSI Other recommended Proxmox / PBS-compatible storage configuration The storage must be configured correctly and permanently, including reboot persistence, permissions, performance checks and backup/restore validation. 2. Integrate a third NAS reachable through VPN We also need to install and configure a third NAS that will be reachable from the Proxmox infrastructure via VPN and IP routing. The consultant should: Check VPN reachability Validate routing and network access Configure the NAS as an additional backup/storage target Evaluate whether the remote NAS is suitable for backup usage Test backup and restore scenarios 3. Configure and assess a third Proxmox server We are adding a third physical server with better and more modern hardware than the current nodes. We need a technical assessment to decide whether this server should be: Added to the existing Proxmox cluster Kept as a separate Proxmox node Used as a dedicated backup / replication / failover server Used for specific high-performance workloads The consultant should evaluate the best architecture considering hardware differences, cluster quorum, storage design, network configuration, backup strategy, replication and disaster recovery. 4. Backup status and monitoring The current backup email notification system must be checked and validated. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in monitoring Proxmox environments using: Prometheus Grafana NAS monitoring PBS monitoring We would like to evaluate a basic monitoring dashboard for: Proxmox nodes CPU / RAM / disk usage NAS availability Storage usage PBS status Backup job status Network availability Final Deliverables At the end of the activity, we require: Correctly configured NAS backup storage Integration of the third NAS via VPN Technical recommendation about the third Proxmox server Verified backup execution Verified restore test Verified email backup status notifications Documentation of all configuration changes Updated infrastructure diagram including: Existing Proxmox servers New third server Existing NAS Third NAS via VPN VLANs Backup flows PBS role Monitoring components, if implemented The documentation must be clear enough for future internal maintenance and troubleshooting. Required Skills Please apply only if you have real hands-on production experience Nice to have: Prometheus Grafana Proxmox monitoring NAS monitoring Proxmox HA / replication experience Questions for Applicants Please briefly answer the following questions in your proposal: How many Proxmox VE environments have you managed in production? Have you configured Proxmox Backup Server with NAS storage before? What storage protocol would you recommend for PBS backup storage: iSCSI or another approach? Why? Have you configured Proxmox monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana? How would you evaluate whether the third server should join the existing cluster or remain separate? Are you comfortable working only through VPN access? Ideal Candidate We prefer a consultant who can first assess the current configuration, explain the recommended approach, then perform the implementation carefully and document everything clearly. Please do not apply if you only have theoretical Proxmox knowledge.