Project · Generated Case Study

Homelab Control

Control plane for distributed compute, AI inference, and automation across homelab nodes.

Status

Live Environment

Stack

Mac Mini M4, Dell Pro Max GB10, Raspberry Pi 5, Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, Docker, private LAN, secure remote access

Overview

No overview available.

Problem

Running everything on a single machine limits scalability and reliability.
Needed a distributed environment capable of supporting local AI inference, containerized services, automation runtimes, observability, and experimentation with distributed workflows.

Solution

Built a multi-node local environment that powers model serving, application hosting, operational tooling, and edge experiments.
Combines compact compute systems and edge devices connected through a private network with reproducible deployment patterns.

Workflow

Deploy containerized workloads across nodes
Coordinate automation workflows between machines
Route model inference to dedicated inference hosts
Monitor service health across the fabric
Scale workloads by adding edge nodes

Architecture

flowchart TD
    Internet
    Router
    TP-Link_Switch
    
    Mac_Mini_M4[Mac Mini M4]
    Dell_GB10[Dell Pro Max GB10]
    Pi5[Raspberry Pi 5]
    Gaming_PC[Gaming Workstation - on demand]
    Pi_Zero_Inky[Pi Zero 2 W - InkyPi]
    Pi_Zero_Pihole[Pi Zero 2 W - Pi-hole]
    Pi4_DogCam[Raspberry Pi 4B - DogCam]
    
    Internet --> Router
    Router --> TP-Link_Switch
    
    TP-Link_Switch --> Mac_Mini_M4
    TP-Link_Switch --> Dell_GB10
    TP-Link_Switch --> Pi5
    TP-Link_Switch -.-> Gaming_PC
    TP-Link_Switch --> Pi_Zero_Inky
    TP-Link_Switch --> Pi_Zero_Pihole
    TP-Link_Switch --> Pi4_DogCam
    
    subgraph Control
        Mac_Mini_M4
    end
    
    subgraph Inference
        Dell_GB10
    end
    
    subgraph Burst_Experimental
        Gaming_PC
    end
    
    subgraph Applications
        Pi5
    end
    
    subgraph Edge
        Pi_Zero_Inky
        Pi_Zero_Pihole
        Pi4_DogCam
    end

AI-Enhanced Notes

# Enhanced Project Summary: Homelab Control

## Overview

Homelab Control is the distributed compute fabric that powers local AI experimentation, automation systems, monitoring services, and application development. It functions as a miniature production platform where new systems can be designed, tested, and operated across multiple nodes.

## Key Components

### Control Plane (Mac Mini M4)
- Orchestration services
- Automation runtime coordination
- Core service management

### Inference Layer (Dell Pro Max GB10 + Fallback)
- Local LLM serving
- Model workloads
- Heavy AI execution paths

### Application Layer (Raspberry Pi 5)
- Dashboards
- Internal tools
- Media workflows (Immich)

### Edge Layer
- InkyPi: Low-power ambient display
- Pi-hole: DNS-level filtering
- DogCam: Edge computer vision experiments

## Technical Stack

- **Compute:** Mac Mini M4, Dell Pro Max GB10, Raspberry Pi 5, Pi Zero 2 W, Pi 4B
- **Containerization:** Docker
- **Networking:** Private LAN with secure remote access
- **Observability:** Monitoring services, dashboarding

## Operational Impact

The homelab infrastructure eliminates full cloud dependence while providing a stable platform for:
- AI systems experimentation
- Distributed services development
- Automation workflow testing
- Rapid prototyping