The platform under eCloud: Proxmox VE
eCloud runs on Proxmox Virtual Environment, a fully open-source virtualization platform of European origin. You get a single console for your entire environment, enterprise-grade functionality included as standard rather than locked behind a separate license, and no per-CPU-core subscription fees.
Does this sound familiar?
These are the questions we get most often when Proxmox first comes up.
Reliability
You have business-critical workloads and cannot afford to experiment. The question is not whether Proxmox works, but whether it is proven in environments like yours. The answer is yes.
Licensing costs
Clustering, high availability, live migration, distributed storage—features you take for granted—turn out to be additional modules with extra costs on your current platform. Not so with Proxmox.
Support
You may be technically convinced by the platform, but what about management? Who provides support? What happens if a vulnerability emerges? Who is liable? We take that burden off your hands.
Proxmox VE: the motor of eCloud
Proxmox Virtual Environment brings two technologies together in a single console: KVM for virtual machines and LXC for containers.
The platform is built on Debian Linux and offers a web-based management interface, REST APIs, clustering, and high availability. What makes it attractive in practice is its integrated approach.
Virtual machines, containers, storage, network management, replication, back-up and clusters are all in one open ecosystem, without expensive suites or add-ons. Unlike a vCenter architecture, no separate management server is required.
With eCloud, we fully manage the hypervisor layer, including updates and security patches, while you work at the level of your virtual machines and containers.
Business continuity & control
Carefree and in your hands
If your workload is mission-critical, we can even offer a geo-redundant eCloud configuration: a stretched setup spanning two autonomous data centers that automatically fails over from one to the other in the event of an outage.
With eCloud, you retain full control over management. While we handle much of the maintenance and monitoring, you can still perform all key VM operations yourself via a multi-tenant, web-based management console. Should you need assistance, however, you can always rely on our service desk.
Why our customers trust us
Open source versus VMware
How secure is open source?
Many companies still associate open source with risk, but in reality, Proxmox offers a platform that is just as reliable and secure as VMware.
Proxmox Virtual Environment is built on proven technologies used worldwide in mission-critical environments. Moreover, its community continuously releases updates and security patches, meaning vulnerabilities are often addressed faster than in more closed ecosystems.
With Epact’s local support on top, you can rest easy.
Why choose Epact as your partner?
What sets us apart from other private cloud providers?
Experience with both platforms
RWe have experience with both Proxmox and VMware environments in production. As a result, we have no vested interest in a single answer and can tell you when Proxmox is the better choice and when it isn't.
Full managed services
We handle the full management of the network, storage, servers, and hypervisor layer. That way, you can focus entirely on your business without worrying about your infrastructure.
Training and knowledge transfer
We schedule a dedicated session for documentation and training so that your own team understands the environment. Relying on a partner for operational matters is a choice; relying on them because no one else knows how things work is a risk.
What do you get as standard?
• Clustering and HA, with automatic VM restart upon node failure
• Live migration of running virtual machines between hosts
• Broad storage support: ZFS, Ceph, iSCSI, NFS, LVM
• Flexible networking with Linux bridges, Open vSwitch, and SDN modules
• Per-virtual machine firewalling
• Role-based access control and audit logs
• REST APIs for automation and integration
The difference compared to a per-CPU-core licensing model is structural: there are no license fees for the hypervisor or its functionality, with optional support available per socket. This is the mechanism behind the lower TCO, and the reason your cost curve doesn't rise in tandem with your cluster.
Our partners, your guarantee to top quality
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The other elements of eCloud
What else is there to tell about eCloud?
Infrastructure & data centers
Beneath your virtual machines lies a clustered platform comprising enterprise-grade hardware, redundant storage, and a segmented network, all housed in professional data centers in Belgium. There is no shared computing capacity with unknown neighbors, and no investment cycle for you to plan.
Management & support
"Managed" is a word that only gains real meaning when you spell out the details. The difference between a successful partnership with an infrastructure provider and a difficult one almost always comes down to expectations that were never made explicit. We make them explicit: what we take over, what remains your responsibility, and who to contact if an issue arises.
Switching to VMware
Due to changes in licensing and the associated price increases, many VMware customers are looking for alternatives. With eCloud, we offer a fully-fledged, more affordable, and per-virtual-machine scalable alternative based on the open-source technology of the European-based Proxmox. Discover how the transition works in practice and what it costs.
Data sovereignty & compliance
Where is your data actually stored, and under which jurisdiction? What happens if a foreign government demands access? Are you truly compliant, or are you just assuming you are? These are the questions currently on the agenda in boardrooms. Read how eCloud provides the answers: Belgian data centers, European technology, and full compliance.