The Life of an SRE: From Day Job to HomeLabineer

Being an SRE (Site Reliability Engineer) during the day and a HomeLabineer by night can be an exciting and fulfilling journey. As an SRE, I am responsible for ensuring the reliability, availability, and performance of the systems and services that power our organization. But when the workday ends, my passion for home automation takes over.

One of the first projects I embarked on as a HomeLabineer was setting up permanent holiday lights. No more climbing ladders and untangling strings of lights every year. With the power of home automation, I was able to install smart lights that could be controlled with a simple voice command or a tap on my smartphone. Not only did this save me time and effort, but it also added a touch of magic to my home during the holiday season.

Home Assistant became my go-to platform for managing all my smart devices. It allowed me to integrate different technologies seamlessly, including Zigbee and Z-Wave. With Home Assistant, I could create custom automations, set up schedules, and even receive notifications when certain events occurred. It truly transformed my home into a smart and efficient living space.

But the journey didn’t stop there. I delved deeper into the world of home automation and explored other technologies such as UniFi, Blue Iris, Docker, Portainer, VSCode, Linux, Ubuntu, ESXi, QNAP, Plex, Arr Suite, and Paperless. Each of these tools and platforms added a new layer of functionality and convenience to my HomeLab.

UniFi, for example, allowed me to set up a robust and secure network infrastructure within my home. With its centralized management console, I could easily monitor and control all my network devices, including access points, switches, and routers. This not only improved the performance of my smart devices but also enhanced the overall connectivity experience for all my family members.

Blue Iris, on the other hand, transformed my home security system. With its powerful video surveillance capabilities, I could monitor my home from anywhere in the world. It provided me with peace of mind knowing that I could keep an eye on things even when I was away.

Docker and Portainer allowed me to containerize my applications and manage them effortlessly. This made it easy to deploy and update software without worrying about compatibility issues or dependencies. It also gave me the flexibility to experiment with different applications and services without cluttering my system.

VSCode became my favorite code editor for all my scripting and automation needs. Its rich set of extensions and powerful debugging capabilities made it a breeze to develop custom automations and integrations. It became my virtual toolbox for turning my home into a smart and efficient living space.

Linux and Ubuntu served as the foundation for my HomeLab. They provided a stable and secure operating system that could handle the demands of running multiple services and applications simultaneously. With the power of Linux, I could optimize my system’s performance and ensure that everything ran smoothly.

ESXi and QNAP acted as the backbone of my virtualization infrastructure. ESXi allowed me to run multiple virtual machines on a single physical server, while QNAP provided reliable storage solutions for all my data. This combination gave me the flexibility to experiment with different setups and configurations without the need for additional hardware.

Plex and Arr Suite were the final pieces of the puzzle. Plex allowed me to organize and stream my media collection to any device in my home, while Arr Suite automated the process of downloading and managing TV shows and movies. Together, they created the ultimate entertainment experience for my family and me.

And last but not least, Paperless helped me eliminate paper clutter and digitize my documents. With its OCR (Optical Character Recognition) capabilities, I could easily search and retrieve important information from my digital archive.

Being an SRE by day and a HomeLabineer by night has allowed me to combine my passion for technology with the comforts of home. It’s a constant journey of learning, exploring, and improving. And with each new project and integration, my HomeLab becomes smarter, more efficient, and more enjoyable.