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Architecture Overview

This page provides a concise overview of the homelab architecture, focusing on server roles, design principles, and core ideas.

It is intended as a quick reference before diving into detailed architecture and networking documents.

🖥️ Servers

Server OS Purpose
Lenovo Laptop Arch Linux Main compute node and persistent storage
Android Device Termux (Linux userspace) DNS, monitoring, lightweight radar services

Design Principles

The architecture follows these non-negotiable principles:

  • Heavy workloads stay on Lenovo
    Core services, storage, and compute-intensive tasks run only on stable hardware.

  • Android stays lightweight and disposable
    Android devices are treated as replaceable edge nodes with no critical data.

  • No public ports
    No service is exposed directly to the internet.

  • Identity-based access only
    Access is granted based on authenticated identity, not network location.

Key Ideas

These ideas guide all design decisions:

  • One job per machine
    Each node has a clearly defined role.

  • No public exposure
    All access happens through authenticated private networking.

  • Identity over IP
    Trust is never derived from LAN, WAN, or physical location.

Summary

This architecture: - Keeps critical data centralized and protected - Limits attack surface by design - Treats edge devices as disposable - Makes failure predictable and recoverable

All other documentation expands on the rules defined here.