Module 9:Configuring Storage

Overview

Initialize and partition a disk

View and update disk properties

Manage mounted drives

Convert a disk from basic to dynamic and from dynamic to basic

Create volumes on a disk.

Create fault-tolerant volumes

Lesson 1: Preparing Disks

Use Disk Management

Use the DiskPart tool

Describe disk partitions

Describe Windows file systems

List best practices for preparing disks

Disk Management

A snap-in located in the Computer Management console

Use to view disk information and perform disk management tasks

Enables you to perform most disk-related tasks without shutting down the system or interrupting users

The DiskPart Tool

With the DiskPart command-line tool: Select an object, then type a command Use it to manage disks, partitions, and volumes Use scripts for repetitive tasks

Partitions

A physical disk is sectioned into separate partitions

Basic disks can have up to:

Four primary partitions Three primary partitions

and one extended partition

Extended partitions are subdivided into logical drives

C:C:

D:D:

E:E:

F:F:

Extended with logical drives

Extended with logical drives

Basic DisksBasic Disks

C:C:

D:D:

E:E:

F:F:

G:G:

H:H:

OROR

PrimaryPrimary PrimaryPrimary

File Systems

FAT or exFAT

FAT32

NTFS

If the removable storage device will be permanently attached to a system NTFS is the best choice.

If the removable storage device will move between Windows-based computers a FAT-based file system such as exFAT is the appropriate choice

Lesson 2: Managing Disk Properties

Describe disk properties

Convert FAT and FAT32 file systems to the NTFS file system

Disk Properties

Disk Management:

GeneralVolume

DiskPart provides:

Disk propertiesDisk IDDisk type

The Convert Utility

Converts FAT and FAT32 volumes to NTFS

All data is preserved

No reboot is required for most volumes

Lesson 3: Managing Mounted Drives

Describe a mounted drive

Describe how to use a mounted drive

Describe the Virtual Disk Service

Mounted Drives

Is assigned a path rather than a drive letter

Can unify different file systems on a logical drive

Allows you to add more drives without using up drive letters

Uses for Mounted Drives

Adds volumes to systems without adding separate drive letters for each new volume

Logical organization of data

Facilitates storage expansion

Adds volumes to systems without adding separate drive letters for each new volume

Logical organization of data

Facilitates storage expansion

VDS

A layer of abstraction between disk management tools and disk providers

Allows vendors to write additional providers that interface with VDS

Software providers operate on volumes, disks, and disk partitions

Hardware providers manage storage subsystems

Lesson 4: Converting Disks

Describe the differences between basic and dynamic disks

Describe the results of a conversion to a dynamic disk

Basic Disks vs. Dynamic Disks

Benefits of basic disks include:Benefits of basic disks include:

Setup and Recovery Console access

Disk utility availability

Setup and Recovery Console access

Disk utility availability

Benefits of dynamic disks include:Benefits of dynamic disks include:

Spanning multiple disks

Volume limits per disk

Fault-tolerant capability

Spanning multiple disks

Volume limits per disk

Fault-tolerant capability

Results of Dynamic Disk Conversion

Basic disk partitions become volumes

Data on the disk is preserved

The disk gains a disk group identity

Basic disk partitions become volumes

Data on the disk is preserved

The disk gains a disk group identity

Reverting a dynamic disk to a basic disk results in the loss of all partitions and data on the diskReverting a dynamic disk to a basic disk results in the loss of all partitions and data on the disk

Lesson 5: Creating Volumes

Describe the characteristics of a simple volume

Describe the characteristics of an extended volume

Describe the characteristics of a spanned volume

Describe the characteristics of a striped volume

Simple Volumes

Contains space on a single disk

Can be created only on dynamic disks

Can use the NTFS, FAT, or FAT32 file systems

Can be extended if formatted with NTFS

Simple VolumeSimple Volume

Extended Volumes

Created by extending a simple volume onto unallocated space on the same disk or a different disk

The unallocated space must be unformatted or formatted with a version of NTFS

Extended VolumeExtended Volume

Spanned Volumes

Spanned VolumeSpanned Volume

3994 MBUnallocated

New Volume (G)100 MB NTFSHealthy

Disk 1Dynamic4094 MBOnline

3994 MBUnallocated

New Volume (G)100 MB NTFSHealthy

Disk 2Dynamic4094 MBOnline

Free space combinedinto one logical volumeFree space combined

into one logical volume

Striped Volumes

Data written across all disks in 64 KB unitsData written across all disks in 64 KB units

Striped VolumeStriped Volume

3994 MBUnallocated

New Volume (G)100 MB NTFSHealthy

Disk 1Dynamic4094 MBOnline

3994 MBUnallocated

New Volume (G)100 MB NTFSHealthy

Disk 2Dynamic4094 MBOnline

Free space combinedinto one logical volumeFree space combined

into one logical volume

64 KB64 KB 64 KB

Lesson 6: Creating Fault-Tolerant Volumes

Describe fault tolerance

Describe the characteristics of a mirrored volume

Describe the characteristics of a RAID-5 volume

Describe the difference between hardware RAID and software RAID

Describe types of external storage

Define iSCSI initiators

Configure the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator

Describe the characteristics of foreign disks

Describe how to work with offline disks

Fault Tolerance

The ability to survive hardware failure

Fault-tolerant volumes provide data redundancy

Fault-tolerant volumes require dynamic disks

Fault-tolerant volumes are not a replacement for backups

Simultaneously written data to two volumes on two physical disks

Almost any volume can be mirrored, including the system and boot volumes

Many mirrored volume configurations use duplexing

Mirrored Volumes

Mirrored VolumeMirrored Volume

DataData

RAID-5 Volumes

Disk 1 Disk 2 Disk 3

Parity

Parity

Stripe 6Stripe 5Stripe 4Stripe 3Stripe 2Stripe 1

Parity

Parity

Parity

Parity

Software RAID vs. Hardware RAID

RAID Type Benefits

Software RAID

Configured in Disk Management

Requires dynamic disks

Used mostly in smaller organizations

Failed mirrors may require boot.ini changes

Can move disks to any computer running Windows 2008 Server

Hardware RAID

Configured with vendor utilities

Does not require dynamic disks

Higher performance

Does not require boot.ini changes

Can expand existing RAID-5 volumes

External Storage

External and auxiliary disk space

External Array

Storage Area Network (SAN)

Network Attached Storage (NAS)

iSCSI Initiator

Can be used over a LAN, a WAN, or the internet

Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator is integrated into Windows Server 2008

Can use a Host Bus Adapter (HBA) or Network Adapter

Can use an iSCSI bridge to access Fibre Channel

Configuring the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator

Manages targets using node name and initiator instance settings

Discovery mechanisms:

Command-Line Using SendTarget PortalsiSNSHBA DiscoveryManually Configured Targets

Foreign Disks

A dynamic disk moved to a different computer

Offline Disks

A disk management status option

A corrupt or intermittently unavailable dynamic disk

A failed foreign disk