Proxmox VE 9.1: All New Features and Why Your Refurbished Hardware Is Ready for the New Era

On November 19, 2025, Proxmox released Proxmox VE 9.1, consolidating the 9.x series as the most complete open-source virtualization platform on the market. Based on Debian Trixie 13.2 with kernel 6.17, this release brings innovations that place it at the forefront of enterprise virtualization.

From Proxmox 8.x to 9.x: A Generational Leap

The transition from the 8.x to 9.x series is not a simple incremental upgrade. Proxmox VE 9.0, released in August 2025, already represented a major shift with the migration to Debian 13, QEMU 10, ZFS 2.3 and a significantly newer kernel. Version 9.1 builds on that foundation with practical improvements that impact daily operations.

Key New Features in Proxmox VE 9.1

OCI Container Support (Open Container Initiative)

The headline feature of 9.1: you can now create LXC containers directly from OCI images (Docker Hub, private registries, etc.). Proxmox supports both system containers and application containers (the latter in technology preview). This eliminates the need for Docker or Podman in many use cases.

Virtual TPM in qcow2 Format

TPM state is now stored in qcow2 format instead of raw, enabling TPM snapshots on file-level storages (NFS, CIFS, directories). Essential for environments requiring Windows 11 or BitLocker with snapshot capability.

Intel TDX Support

Initial integration of Intel Trust Domain Extensions on supported platforms, with attestation support. TDX provides hardware-level cryptographic isolation of virtual machines, ideal for workloads requiring extreme confidentiality.

Nested Virtualization Control

New nested-virt vCPU flag for fine-grained control of nested virtualization without exposing all host CPU flags.

Host-Managed DHCP for Containers

Containers without their own network stack can receive DHCP configuration managed directly by the Proxmox host. Automatically enabled for application containers.

nftables Firewall Improvements

The nftables-based firewall (introduced as preview in 9.0) now supports ipsets and EVPN, bringing it closer to full parity with the classic iptables firewall.

SDN Improvements

SDN bridges and VNets now show connected guests. EVPN zones display learned IPs and MACs. Fabrics now appear in the resource tree for better visibility.

Storage Improvements

• iSCSI: Initial support for portals returning hostnames instead of IP addresses
• Ceph KRBD: Windows VM volumes now use the rxbounce map option to fix degraded performance
• Fleecing Backup: Now works for VMs with TPM state
• ZFS 2.3.4: Maintains the RAIDZ expansion improvements from 9.0, allowing you to add disks to RAIDZ pools without downtime

Compatibility with SecondLife Hardware

Proxmox VE 9.1 is compatible with our entire catalog of refurbished enterprise hardware. Some important notes:

Dell PowerEdge

The R640, R740, R750 models and the entire PowerEdge range are compatible. Important note: Some users have reported boot issues with kernel 6.17 on certain Dell models. If you experience this, adjust the SR-IOV and I/OAT firmware settings to resolve it.

HP ProLiant

The DL360/DL380 series across Gen9, Gen10 and Gen10 Plus generations work perfectly. Smart Array controllers are compatible with standard kernel 6.17 drivers.

Supermicro

Excellent compatibility as always. Supermicro servers with IPMI are ideal for remote management in Proxmox environments.

Configuration Recommendations for PVE 9.1

• RAID controller in HBA/IT mode: Required to take advantage of ZFS 2.3.4 with RAIDZ expansion
• 10/25GbE network cards: Intel X710 or Mellanox ConnectX-4 for clustering and Ceph. The new SDN Fabrics in PVE 9.x make the most of these cards.
• Minimum 64GB ECC RAM: With OCI containers + VMs, RAM is the most demanded resource
• NVMe SSDs for VMs: Combined with ZFS and qcow2 snapshots, they offer the best performance and flexibility

Migrating from VMware: Easier Than Ever

With the VMware licensing crisis under Broadcom, Proxmox 9.1 continues to improve migration tools. The ESXi import wizard has been refined with compatibility improvements, and VM disk imports can be performed directly from the web interface.

Conclusion

Proxmox VE 9.1 represents the full maturity of the platform: OCI containers, confidential computing with Intel TDX, state-of-the-art ZFS and a complete SDN ecosystem. Combined with refurbished enterprise hardware from SecondLife Hardware, you can build datacenter-grade infrastructure at a fraction of the cost of new VMware licenses.

Ready to make the switch to Proxmox? Contact our team for personalized advice on the ideal configuration for your environment.