The Life of an SRE: From Day Job to HomeLabineer

As an SRE (Site Reliability Engineer) by day, my job revolves around ensuring the smooth operation and reliability of complex systems. But when the workday is done, I transform into a HomeLabineer, diving into the world of home automation and tinkering with various technologies to create my dream smart home.

One of my favorite projects in my HomeLab is setting up permanent holiday lights. Instead of going through the hassle of putting up and taking down lights every year, I decided to automate the process. Using a combination of Home Assistant, Zigbee, and Z-Wave devices, I was able to create a system that turns on and off the lights automatically based on a schedule or triggered events. Now, I can enjoy festive lights without the hassle.

Speaking of Home Assistant, it is the heart and brain of my smart home setup. It allows me to integrate and control all my devices from a single interface. With support for a wide range of devices and platforms, Home Assistant is a powerful tool for any HomeLabineer.

To manage my HomeLab infrastructure, I rely on tools like Unifi, Docker, and Portainer. Unifi provides me with a unified network management solution, allowing me to easily monitor and control my network devices. Docker and Portainer, on the other hand, enable me to containerize and manage my applications in a scalable and efficient manner.

When it comes to development, my go-to editor is Visual Studio Code (VSCode). With its extensive plugin ecosystem and powerful features, VSCode makes writing and debugging code a breeze. Whether I’m working on custom automations for my smart home or tinkering with scripts, VSCode is my trusty companion.

As a HomeLabineer, I am no stranger to Linux. I primarily use Ubuntu as my operating system of choice due to its stability and wide community support. Linux allows me to have full control over my HomeLab environment, enabling me to customize and optimize it to my heart’s content.

For virtualization, I rely on ESXi (VMware ESXi) to create and manage virtual machines. ESXi provides the flexibility and performance I need to run multiple virtual machines simultaneously, allowing me to experiment with different setups without impacting my production environment.

Storage is a critical component of any HomeLab, and I chose QNAP as my storage solution. With its robust hardware and feature-rich software, QNAP provides me with reliable and scalable storage options for my data and media files.

Entertainment is also a big part of my HomeLab, and Plex is my media server of choice. With Plex, I can organize and stream my media collection to any device in my home. Whether I’m watching movies, listening to music, or viewing photos, Plex delivers a seamless and enjoyable experience.

Lastly, I have embraced the paperless lifestyle with the help of the ARR Suite. This suite of open-source tools allows me to scan, organize, and search my documents digitally. By going paperless, I have reduced clutter and increased accessibility to important documents.