Proxmox VE: Enhanced Tag-Based VM Organization

Version: 1.0
Author: Gabriel Adams
Date: March 2025

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Overview

This update enhances the Proxmox Virtual Environment (Proxmox VE) UI by introducing an automated, structured folder system based on VM and container tags.
Instead of a flat list of resources, this feature dynamically organizes VMs into a nested directory structure based on their assigned tags.

This helps administrators efficiently manage large-scale Proxmox environments by allowing for hierarchical categorization of resources.

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Key Features

Tag-Based Folder Organization

• The first tag assigned to a VM/LXC determines its parent folder.

• Additional tags create subdirectories under that parent.

• Has remediations for accidental incorrect ordering (e.g., ensures Production -> Database instead of Database -> Production).

• Users should currently use an A), B), C) naming scheme when creating subdirectory tags to prevent improper sorting (e.g., A-Production, B-Database).
  For example, when I make 'Production' and 'Test' directories that are separate, I will make A-Production and A-Test tags. Then, lets say I want a database and a WWW tag under both. The second tags I add to the VM's in those folders will be b-database, and b-www. This will ensure that VM's inside of say Production --> database are in the subfolder database which is under production.

Real-Time Updates (No Full Refresh Needed)

• The tree dynamically refreshes when tags change, eliminating the need for a full page reload.
• Immediate feedback on folder structure updates.

Automatic Cleanup

• When a VM loses all tags, it moves back to the default folder.
• Empty folders are automatically removed.

Duplicate Prevention

• Ensures VMs do not appear in multiple locations, unlike in the current tagging functionality.

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Advantages

Feature	Before Update	After Update
VM Organization	Flat list of VMs	Structured folders based on tags
Folder Naming	Some folders unnamed	Folders inherit tag names
Tag Validation	Tags assigned inconsistently	Logical folder hierarchy enforced
Tree Updates	Required full page refresh	Updates in real time
Empty Folders	Persisted indefinitely	Removed automatically
Duplicates	VMs could appear multiple times	VMs appear only in one location

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🔧 How to Apply the Update

Step 1: Backup Your Existing File

Before making any modifications, backup your current pvemanagerlib.js:

cp /usr/share/pve-manager/js/pvemanagerlib.js /usr/share/pve-manager/js/pvemanagerlib.js.bak

This ensures that you can restore the original file if needed.

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Step 2: Replace pvemanagerlib.js

Clone this repository with:

git clone https://github.com/gradams42/ProxmoxUpgrades.git'
cd ProxmoxUpgrades

1. Upload the new file to your Proxmox VE server:

   scp pvemanagerlib.js root@your-proxmox-ip:/usr/share/pve-manager/js/

2. Ensure correct permissions:

   chmod 644 /usr/share/pve-manager/js/pvemanagerlib.js

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Step 3: Restart the Proxmox Web Interface

For the changes to take effect, restart the Proxmox web interface and daemon:

systemctl restart pveproxy
systemctl restart pvedaemon

Step 4: Refresh the Page

Use CTRL + Shift + R to reload any cached frontend files in your browser.

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Future Improvements

• Fixing real-time updates:

  • Currently, the user must refresh after adding or removing tags to see updates.
  • Future updates will make this process seamless.

• Improving tag sorting logic:

  • Proxmox automatically sorts tags alphabetically, which interferes with the intended hierarchical structure.
  • I am working on updating how tag data is sent to the backend to preserve order based on creation time instead of alphabetical sorting.

• Better integration with existing Proxmox workflows:

  • Ensure this update is compatible with Proxmox's native API.
  • Minimize UI conflicts for users who prefer standard tag-based organization.

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Credits

• Developed by: Gabriel Adams
• Who this is for: Open Source Proxmox Community