# Building a Self-Hosted Raspberry Pi Server Cluster This blog post is currently a draft and work in progress. Content may be incomplete or subject to changes. When I decided to move away from expensive cloud hosting for my development projects, I knew I wanted something powerful, cost-effective, and fun to build. Enter the Raspberry Pi 5 cluster - a professional-grade server setup that delivers impressive performance while keeping costs reasonable. ## Why Raspberry Pi 5 for Production? The Raspberry Pi 5 represents a massive performance jump with its ARM Cortex-A76 CPU, up to 8GB RAM, and PCIe support. It's finally powerful enough for serious production workloads. The Pi 5 brought several game-changing improvements: - **8GB RAM option**: Finally enough memory for containerized applications - **PCIe support**: Direct NVMe storage for dramatically better I/O - **Improved networking**: Gigabit Ethernet with better throughput - **PoE+ support**: Clean power delivery without individual adapters ## Hardware Setup: Professional Rack Mounting ### UCTRONICS Pi 5 Rack Mount System The foundation of any serious Pi cluster is proper mounting. The **UCTRONICS Pi 5 Rack Mount** transforms four individual Pis into a clean, professional 1U server. **Key benefits:** - **1U standard rack size**: Fits perfectly in server racks - **Excellent cooling**: Built-in fans with temperature control - **Clean cable management**: Organized power and network connections - **Easy access**: Individual Pi modules slide out for maintenance ### Power Over Ethernet with UCTRONICS PoE HAT Rather than dealing with individual power supplies, I implemented PoE (Power over Ethernet) for clean, centralized power management. The **UCTRONICS Pi 5 PoE HAT** provides: - **IEEE 802.3at PoE+ compliance**: Reliable 25W power delivery - **Active cooling**: Integrated fan with PWM control - **GPIO passthrough**: Maintains access to all Pi 5 features - **Temperature monitoring**: Automatic fan speed adjustment PoE enables remote power cycling through network switches - essential for headless servers. No more physical access needed for hard resets! ### Network Infrastructure: UniFi PoE Pro Max 16 For networking and PoE delivery, I chose the **UniFi PoE Pro Max 16**: ``` UniFi PoE Pro Max 16 Specifications: - 16x Gigabit PoE+ ports (25.5W each) - 400W total PoE budget - Layer 2/3 switching capabilities - VLAN support for network segmentation - Remote power cycling per port ``` **VLAN Configuration:** I isolated the Pi cluster on a dedicated VLAN for security and management: This setup enables: - **Remote power cycling**: Reset frozen nodes without physical access - **Network isolation**: Cluster traffic separated from main network - **Centralized management**: Single switch controls entire cluster - **Monitoring**: Per-port power consumption tracking ## Storage: NVMe Performance Boost ### UCTRONICS NVMe Board Installation The biggest performance bottleneck on previous Pi generations was storage. The Pi 5's PCIe support changes everything. **UCTRONICS NVMe Board benefits:** - **M.2 2280 NVMe support**: Full-size SSDs for maximum capacity - **PCIe Gen 2 interface**: ~450MB/s throughput vs 50MB/s on SD cards - **HAT+ form factor**: Stacks cleanly with PoE HAT - **No external power**: Powered directly from Pi 5 ### Raspberry Pi Branded 512GB NVMe I chose the official **Raspberry Pi NVMe SSD (512GB)** for each node: **Why the official drive:** - **Optimized firmware**: Specifically tuned for Pi 5 PCIe implementation - **Thermal management**: Designed for Pi thermal constraints - **Reliability**: Rated for 24/7 operation - **Support**: Full compatibility guarantee from Raspberry Pi Foundation ## Operating System: Ubuntu Server Setup ### Balena Etcher for NVMe Flashing Setting up Ubuntu on NVMe requires a specific workflow: ### Pre-boot Configuration with user-data Before first boot, I customize each Pi with cloud-init user-data: ### SSH Certificates for Secure Access For enhanced security, I implement SSH certificates: ## Orchestration: Coolify Across 4 Nodes ### Why Coolify Over Kubernetes? While Kubernetes is powerful, it's overkill for small clusters. **Coolify** provides the perfect balance: Coolify offers Docker Swarm orchestration with a beautiful web UI, built-in reverse proxy, SSL certificates, and simple deployment workflows - perfect for small clusters. **Coolify benefits:** - **Simple setup**: No complex YAML configurations - **Built-in reverse proxy**: Automatic Traefik configuration - **SSL automation**: Let's Encrypt integration - **Git deployment**: Direct GitHub/GitLab integration - **Resource monitoring**: Built-in metrics and alerting ### Docker Swarm Cluster Setup First, initialize the Docker Swarm cluster: ### Coolify Installation Install Coolify on the manager node: **Coolify Configuration:** ### Application Deployment Strategy With Coolify, deploying applications becomes trivial: **Resource allocation strategy:** - **pi-cluster-01**: Coolify management + databases - **pi-cluster-02**: Frontend applications (Next.js, React) - **pi-cluster-03**: Backend APIs (Node.js, Python) - **pi-cluster-04**: Services (Redis, monitoring tools) ## Secure Internet Access: Cloudflare Tunnels ### Why Cloudflare Tunnels? Traditional port forwarding exposes your home IP and requires complex firewall rules. **Cloudflare Tunnels** provide a secure alternative: ``` Internet → Cloudflare Edge → Encrypted Tunnel → Your Pi Cluster ``` **Benefits:** - **No exposed ports**: No inbound firewall rules needed - **DDoS protection**: Cloudflare's global network shields your cluster - **Zero-trust security**: Built-in access controls - **SSL termination**: Automatic HTTPS for all services ### Tunnel Setup Install cloudflared on the manager node: ### DNS Configuration Configure your domain in Cloudflare: ## Performance and Monitoring ### Cluster Performance Metrics After optimization, my 4-node cluster delivers: ``` Total Specifications: - CPU: 16 cores (4x Cortex-A76 quad-core) - RAM: 32GB (4x 8GB) - Storage: 2TB NVMe (4x 512GB) - Network: 4Gbps aggregate - Power: ~60W total ``` **Real-world performance:** - **Web applications**: Easily handles 1000+ concurrent users - **API responses**: Sub-100ms response times - **Database operations**: 10x faster than SD card setups - **Container startup**: 3-5 seconds vs 30+ seconds on SD ### Monitoring Stack I use a lightweight monitoring setup: ## Cost Analysis ### Total Investment ``` Hardware Costs (AUD): - 4x Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB): $120 × 4 = $480 - 4x UCTRONICS PoE HAT: $45 × 4 = $180 - 4x UCTRONICS NVMe Board: $35 × 4 = $140 - 4x Pi Official NVMe 512GB: $85 × 4 = $340 - UCTRONICS Rack Mount: $150 - UniFi PoE Pro Max 16: $650 - Miscellaneous cables: $50 Total Hardware: $1,990 AUD (~$1,300 USD) ``` ### Operating Costs ``` Monthly Costs: - Power (60W × 24h × 30d × $0.25/kWh): $10.80 - Internet (included in home plan): $0 - Domain registration: $1.50 - Cloudflare Pro (optional): $20 Total Monthly: $32.30 AUD (~$21 USD) ``` **ROI Comparison:** - **Equivalent cloud resources**: $200-300/month - **Break-even point**: 6-7 months - **5-year savings**: $10,000+ AUD ## Lessons Learned ### What Works Great 1. **PoE power management**: Remote resets are invaluable 2. **NVMe storage**: Night and day performance difference 3. **Coolify simplicity**: Much easier than Kubernetes for small setups 4. **Cloudflare Tunnels**: Rock-solid security without complexity ### Challenges Faced 1. **Heat management**: Ensure good airflow in rack enclosures 2. **NVMe compatibility**: Stick to officially supported drives 3. **Network planning**: VLAN setup requires careful planning 4. **Initial complexity**: Setup takes time but pays off long-term ### Future Improvements - **Add load balancer**: HAProxy for better traffic distribution - **Implement backup strategy**: Automated backups to cloud storage - **Expand monitoring**: More detailed application metrics - **Consider Pi 5 Compute Modules**: Even more professional form factor ## Conclusion Building a Raspberry Pi 5 cluster has been incredibly rewarding. What started as a cost-saving exercise became a learning journey in modern DevOps practices. The combination of rack mounting, PoE, NVMe storage, and professional orchestration tools creates a surprisingly capable platform. This cluster now runs my development environments, personal projects, and client demos. It's proven reliable, performant, and cost-effective for real production workloads. The Pi 5 represents a turning point where ARM-based mini computers become genuinely viable for serious computing tasks. Combined with modern tooling like Coolify and Cloudflare Tunnels, you can build enterprise-grade infrastructure on a hobbyist budget. Whether you're a developer looking to reduce cloud costs, a student learning DevOps, or a hobbyist wanting to understand modern infrastructure, a Pi cluster project offers hands-on experience with real-world technologies. --- _Building your own Pi cluster? I'd love to hear about your setup! Connect with me on [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/jamessiebert) or check out more of my projects on my [portfolio](/)._

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