Home Lab Documentation // Tools Tips and Tricks!

Video Description

I go through a lot of thoughts in this video on documenting a home lab environment. Why document your home lab? What tools do you need to use to do this? What types of documentation do you include? We look at all of these questions and talk about some of the things that are very helpful to include in your break glass documentation that you will find helpful. Label maker I use: https://amzn.to/3Rpsjbm (amazon affiliate link I earn a small commission on) Written blog on this topic: https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/2025/04/how-to-document-your-home-lab-the-right-way/ Proxmox Server Build 2025: Minisforum BD795M – https://geni.us/bd795m RackChoice 2U Micro ATX Compact – https://geni.us/rackchoice2u Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V2 – https://geni.us/coolermaster850 Crucial 128 GB 5600MT/sec RAM – https://geni.us/crucial128gbramkit Noctua NH-L9i-17xx, Premium Low-Profile CPU Cooler – https://amzn.to/4hAKIwG Crucial 96GB kit of DDR5 SODIMM memory kit – https://geni.us/noctuanhl9i17xx Intel X520-DA2 10 GbE network adapter – https://geni.us/intelx520 Kingston 240 GB drive for boot – https://geni.us/kingston240 Samsung EVO 990 Pro 2TB – https://geni.us/samsung990pro2tb MX-4 Thermal paste – https://geni.us/mx4thermalpaste Case fans: https://geni.us/arcticp8 Check out the VHT forums to get your questions answered: https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/community/ ★ Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrxcWtpd1IGHG9RbD_9380A?sub_confirmation=1 ★ My blog: https://www.virtualizationhowto.com ★ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vspinmaster ★ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-lee-vht/ ★ Github: https://github.com/brandonleegit ★ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/VirtualizationHowto/100092747277326/ ★ Discord: https://discord.gg/Zb46NV6mB3 ★ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/brandonleevht/ Introduction to documentation and tools for home lab - 0:00 Why documentation matters even for home lab - 0:35 Where do you start with documentation? 1:24 Tools to use with inventorying - 1:52 Diagrams and pictures - 2:16 Free diagramming tools - 2:30 What to diagram with these tools - 2:52 Configuration files and how to keep them as documentation - 3:00 Home lab Wikis - 3:40 Free Wiki and documentation tools for home lab - 3:53 Network documentation is a must! 4:37 Helpful network documentation tools - 5:02 Documentation through infrastructure as code tools - 5:35 Backups of your documentation in another location, like cloud - 6:16 Printing out a physical copy of your critical documentation - 6:48 Labeling your gear and cabling - 7:20 The label maker I use - 8:16 Change log tracking - 8:47 Self-hosting and the catching 22 of accessing documentation - 9:49 Syncing Markdown documentation, MKDOCs, etc - 10:33 Wrapping up thoughts on documenting your home lab - 10:55