Hardware & Infrastructure Documentation
Project Cerberus is my enterprise-style homelab, built to strengthen hands-on skills across infrastructure, networking, virtualisation and cybersecurity. The goal is to create an environment that feels as close to real-world IT as possible, a place to build, test, troubleshoot and document systems properly.
This is not just hardware sitting on a rack. Each phase is tracked and documented through Notion, including implementation steps, issues encountered, troubleshooting, fixes applied and lessons learned along the way.
Forms part of the main compute layer in the lab, used for virtualisation, infrastructure services and general hands-on server administration. Provides a solid enterprise platform for building and managing virtual machines, testing server roles and running supporting lab workloads.
One of the key servers in the lab, a major platform for virtualisation and enterprise-style workload hosting. Plays an important future role in the storage side of the environment, planned for direct Fibre Channel connectivity to the HPE MSA 2040 when that phase is implemented.
Provides the main switching function within the lab, supporting network connectivity across the entire environment. Used for VLAN-based switching, device connectivity and general network structure while the wider routing and segmentation design continues to evolve.
The main firewall platform in the lab, lines up strongly with the Cerberus theme of controlled access and defensive design. Supports traffic filtering, policy control and secure access while giving hands-on exposure to enterprise firewall administration and segmented network security.
Forms the physical base of the homelab and provides a structured way to mount and organise core equipment. Makes the setup more manageable, easier to document and closer in feel to a proper infrastructure deployment.
Used as the initial edge router in the lab before the FortiGate 300D was implemented. Provided the original routing and edge-network function during the earlier stages of the homelab build, useful for testing routing concepts, connectivity and general network design.
Part of the next planned phase of Project Cerberus, intended to bring shared storage into the lab environment. Planned for Fibre Channel connectivity directly to the HPE DL380 Gen9, moving the lab closer to a realistic enterprise storage and virtualisation model.
Planned as the future upgrade path for the network design, migration from the current Layer 2 switching model to a dedicated Layer 3 approach. Will support inter-VLAN routing at the switch layer and create a more enterprise-style network structure without relying on the firewall for all routing decisions.
Project Cerberus is documented as an active technical project ,not just a collection of hardware. Each stage is tracked with a focus on structure, visibility and lessons learned throughout the build process. This creates a proper record of the lab's development and makes it easy to show not just what was built, but how it was built, what went wrong and how those issues were resolved.