Connections

The Connections page is where you manage your Proxmox VE (PVE) and Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) connections. Each connection represents a link between ProxCenter and a Proxmox instance, providing the credentials and access configuration needed to communicate with the Proxmox API and SSH.

Overview

ProxCenter needs two types of access to fully manage a Proxmox instance:

• API access -- Used for reading cluster state, managing VMs, monitoring resources, and executing most operations
• SSH access -- Used for operations that require direct node access, such as disk imports, compliance scans, CVE scanning, and system updates

Adding a Connection

1. Navigate to Settings > Connections
2. Click Add Connection
3. Select the connection type: Proxmox VE or Proxmox Backup Server
4. Fill in the connection details

PVE Connection Settings

Field	Description
Name	A friendly name for this connection (e.g., "Production Cluster")
Host	The IP address or hostname of any node in the cluster
Port	API port (default: 8006)
Token ID	API token in the format user@realm!tokenid
Token Secret	The API token secret
SSH User	SSH username for node access (default: root)
SSH Port	SSH port (default: 22)
SSH Key / Password	Authentication method for SSH
Verify TLS	Whether to validate the server's TLS certificate

PBS Connection Settings

Field	Description
Name	A friendly name for this PBS instance
Host	The IP address or hostname of the PBS server
Port	API port (default: 8007)
Token ID	API token for PBS access
Token Secret	The API token secret
Fingerprint	The PBS server's TLS certificate fingerprint (optional)

API Token Setup

ProxCenter uses Proxmox API tokens rather than username/password authentication. To create an API token on Proxmox:

1. Log in to the Proxmox web UI
2. Go to Datacenter > Permissions > API Tokens
3. Click Add and select the user (e.g., root@pam)
4. Uncheck Privilege Separation if you want the token to inherit the user's full permissions
5. Copy the token ID and secret -- the secret is only shown once

warning

The API token secret is only displayed at creation time. If you lose it, you must create a new token. Store it securely.

Reverse Proxy Configuration

If your Proxmox instance is behind a reverse proxy (e.g., nginx, Traefik, HAProxy), ensure the proxy forwards WebSocket connections, as ProxCenter uses them for real-time updates. The proxy should pass through the Upgrade and Connection headers.

tip

When using a reverse proxy with TLS termination, you can disable TLS verification in the ProxCenter connection settings since the connection between the proxy and Proxmox will be internal.

Connection Health

Each connection shows a status indicator:

• Connected -- API and SSH connections are both active
• API Only -- API is reachable but SSH is not configured or unreachable
• Disconnected -- Cannot reach the Proxmox instance

ProxCenter periodically checks connection health and alerts you if a connection goes down.

Permissions

Permission	Description
connection.view	View configured connections
connection.manage	Add, edit, and delete connections