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Minisforum MS-A2 Can it Play Nutanix AHV Minisforum MS-A2 Series Part 17 Ultimate #homelab

Sunday, August 24th, 2025

In Part 17 of the Minisforum MS-A2 Ultimate #homelab Series, we put the Minisforum MS-A2 mini PC through its paces to see if it can handle Nutanix CE 2.1 (AHV).

This isn’t just a quick test — we go through the entire process of installing, configuring, and running Nutanix AHV on the MS-A2, step by step. If you’ve ever wondered whether a compact system can run enterprise-grade hyperconverged infrastructure, this video will show you how it’s done.

Here’s what you’ll learn and see in this deep dive:

Preparing the Installer: We boot the MS-A2, then use Rufus to create a USB ISO installer for Nutanix CE.

Kernel Panic Fix: Early in the boot we hit a kernel panic, but don’t worry — you’ll see how to fix it by disabling PSS support, and then boot Nutanix CE cleanly.

Installing Nutanix CE: Once the installer runs, we select hypervisor, CVM, and data devices, configure host and CVM IP addresses, set subnet/gateway, and accept the EULA.

First Boot & Cluster Setup: After rebooting, Nutanix AHV comes up. We SSH into the host and CVM, check VMs with virsh, and run the key cluster creation commands (full details on GitHub).

Cluster Status & Web Access: With the cluster online, we connect to Prism through the external IP, log in, change passwords, and link to the NEXT account.

Upgrades with LCM: Using Lifecycle Manager, we update the cluster to the latest AHV build, confirming the upgrade process works on the MS-A2.

Creating a VM: We upload ISOs (including Guest Tools), create a network subnet, and build our first VM on Nutanix AHV. You’ll see the MS-A2 handle a 4TB allocation (4096G) without issue.

Running Windows Server 2025: Finally, we boot a Windows Server 2025 ISO, walk through installation, and log in with our configured credentials — proving the MS-A2 can run Windows on top of Nutanix AHV.

By the end of this video, you’ll know exactly what to expect when running Nutanix CE 2.1 on the Minisforum MS-A2 — from install quirks and cluster setup to VM deployment.

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