1. MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Server Administration (Exam #70-646) Chapter 7 Configuring and Managing Data Storage

2. MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 2 Learning Objectives Understand storage options for Windows Server 2008 Use the Disk Management tool to configure and manage storage Explain and configure RAID disk storage fault tolerance Understand storage enhancements in Windows Server 2008 Back up disk storage

3. Learning Objectives (cont’d.) Develop a data backup and recovery strategy MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 3

4. Windows Server 2008 Storage Options Storage systems –Basic disk Traditional disk management techniques Contains: primary and extended partitions and logical drives –Dynamic disk Provides more flexibility No restriction on number of volumes MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 4

5. Basic Disks Partitioning –Blocks a group of tracks and sectors to be used by a particular file system Formatting –Creates a table containing file and folder information for a specific file system in a partition Volume –Logical designation of disk storage –Created out of one or more physical disk Recognize primary and extended partitions MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 5

6. Basic Disks (cont’d.) Can be configured for any of three RAID levels: –Disk striping (RAID level 0) –Disk mirroring (RAID level 1) –Disk striping with parity (RAID level 5) RAID (Redundant array of inexpensive disks) Striping –Spread data over multiple disks or volume Disk mirroring –Creating a mirror image of all data on an original disk MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 6

7. Basic Disks (cont’d.) MBR and GPT Support –Master Boot Record (MBR) Contains startup information about partitions and how to access the disk –Partition table Contains information about each partition created –Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) Partition Table (GPT) Newer way to partition disks Part of Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) approach MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 7

8. Basic Disks (cont’d.) –GPT disks Store partition information in each partition using main and backup tables –GPT partition Can theoretically be up to 18 exabytes –Can convert an MBR disk to GPT and vice versa MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 8

9. Basic Disks (cont’d.) Primary and Extended Partitions on MBR Disks –Primary partition can boot an operating system –Active partition where computer will look for operating system startup files –Extended partition created from space that is not yet partitioned Exceed the four-partition limit of a basic disk MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 9

10. Basic Disks (cont’d.) MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 10 Figure 7-1 Partitions on two disk drives Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning

11. Basic Disks (cont’d.) Activity 7-1: Viewing the Active Partition –Objective: Verify which partition is marked as active Activity 7-2: Customizing the MMC to Access Disk Management Tools –Objective: Create a customized console from which to perform disk management and disk defragmentation MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 11

12. Basic Disks (cont’d.) Volume and Stripe Sets –Volume set Two or more partitions that are combined to look like one volume with a single drive letter –Stripe set Two or more disks that are combined like a volume set, but that are striped for RAID level 0 or RAID level 5 MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 12

13. Dynamic Disks Do not use traditional partitioning Possible to set up a large number of volumes on one disk Can be formatted for NTFS Convert basic disks to dynamic disks after you install Windows Server 2008 Simple Volume –Portion of a disk or an entire disk that is set up as a dynamic disk MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 13

14. Dynamic Disks (cont’d.) Spanned volume –Stored on 2 to 32 dynamic disks that are treated as one volume Striped volume –RAID-0 –Main purpose to extend the life of hard disk drives by spreading data equally over two or more drives MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 14

15. MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 15 Figure 7-4 Creating one spanned volume from four disks Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning Figure 7-5 Disks in a striped volume Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning

16. Dynamic Disks (cont’d.) Shrinking a Volume –Create a new partition when one is needed and you don’t have extra disks MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 16 Figure 7-6 Shrinking a volume Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning

17. Disk Management Disk Management tool –Central location for viewing disk information –Perform tasks such as creating and deleting partitions and volumes MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 17

18. Creating a Partition and Simple Volume Leave 1 MB or more of the disk space free –Windows Server 2008 needs to convert a basic disk to a dynamic disk, in case you want to upgrade later Partitions operate as separate storage units on a hard disk Activity 7-3: Creating a Simple Volume –Objective: Create a new partition from unpartitioned disk space Once a partition is formatted –It is called a volume –Can be assigned a drive letter MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 18

19. Converting a Partitioned Basic Disk to a Dynamic Disk Use Disk Management tool Be certain that 1 MB or more of free space is available on the basic diskBe certain that 1 MB or more of free space is available on the basic disk Activity 7-4: Converting a Basic Disk –Objective: Convert a simple basic disk to a dynamic disk MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 19 CAUTION: IF YOU ARE OPERATING A DUAL BOOT SYSTEM, CONVERTING FROM BASIC TO DYNAMIC WILL NO LONGER SUPPORT DUAL BOOT CONFIGURATIONS.

20. Mounting a Drive Mounted drive –Appears as a folder –Accessed through a path like any other folder Can mount –Basic or dynamic disk drive –CD/DVD drive –Removable drive MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 20

21. Mounting a Drive (cont’d.) Home directory or home folder –Server folder that is associated with a user’s account –Designated workspace for the user to store files Activity 7-5: Configuring a Mounted Drive –Objective: Learn how to set up a mounted drive MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 21

22. Managing Disks Using Disk Defragmenter –Fragmented Data not stored contiguously –Defragmenting Locates fragmented folders and files Moves them to a location on the physical disk so they are in contiguous order –Activity 7-6: Using the Disk Defragmenter Objective: Practice using Disk Defragmenter MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 22

23. Managing Disks (cont’d.) Using Disk Check –Scan a disk for bad sectors and file system errors –Options: Automatically fix file system errors Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors Activity 7-7: Using Disk Check –Objective: Learn how to use Disk Check MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 23

24. Managing Disks (cont’d.) Using chkdsk –Start from command prompt –May run automatically –Activity 7-8: Using chkdsk from the Command Line Objective: Learn how to use chkdsk from the command line MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 24

25. Managing Disks (cont’d.) MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 25 Table 7-1 chkdsk switch and parameter options

26. Introduction to Fault Tolerance Fault tolerance –Ability of a system to gracefully recover from hardware or software failure Software-level RAID –Not meant as a replacement for performing regular backups of data MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 26

27. RAID Volumes RAID –Set of standards for lengthening disk life, preventing data loss, and enabling relatively uninterrupted access to data 6 Levels –Striping –Mirroring –Duplexing –Windows Server 2008 supports RAID levels 0, 1, and 5 MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 27

28. MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 28 Figure 7-13 Disk mirroring Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning Figure 7-14 Disk duplexing Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning 50 % MAXIMUM UTILIZATION

29. Using a Striped Volume (RAID-0) Reasons for using a RAID level 0 –Reduce the wear on multiple disk drives by equally spreading the load –Increase disk performance compared with other methods for configuring dynamic disk volumes MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 29

30. Using a Mirrored Volume (RAID-1) Disk mirroring –Creating a shadow copy of data on a backup disk –RAID level 1 Only dynamic disks Can be a slight performance degradation for disk writes Well suited for situations in which data is mission- critical and must not be lost under any circumstances MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 30

31. Using a RAID-5 Volume RAID-5 volumeRAID-5 volume –Requires a minimum of three disk drives Performance is not as fast as with a striped volume Useful in a client/server system that uses a separate database for queries and creating reports Amount of storage space used –Based on the formula 1/n where n is the number of physical disks in the volume MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 31

32. How does RAID5/parity really work? Does the parity block act as a temporary buffer? What exactly is going on here (XOR) wise? Also could you point me to a reference? RAID5 works by gathering up three or more physical disk drives (usually from 3 to 32 but you usually see 15 as the max in most RAID arrays) and logically combining them into a single logical entity. RAID5 uses "distributed parity." This means as parity information is generated for each write command to the logical disk combined into a RAID5 "set", the parity data is "striped" across all the disks in the set. Parity for a RAID5 set is generated, usually in hardware by the RAID controller, by a process known as: "Read, modify, write." On a RAID5 set, a write operation is not complete until the following process occurs: 1. Read old data from the disks 2. Read the old parity from the disks and calculate the difference between the old data and the new data to be written, using an XOR operation 3. Write the new data to disks 4. Write the new parity to disks This means that for every write operation, four operations actually happen. This is known as the "RAID5 write penalty." RAID5 is a tradeoff between speed, reliability and disk space. RAID5 has an advantage of using less disk space for parity data than RAID1 mirror sets but there is a performance hit due to the overhead.

33. The actual mathematical calculation of the parity data is done as follows: The parity is generated by grouping together the bits (0 an 1s) to be written, then flipping the bits for the parity data by making the 1 bits 0s and the 0 bits 1s. (This is an XOR operation.) A bit (0 or 1) is then added to each group of data bits so that it will have either an odd or even number of 1s. When reading back the parity, if the parity that was generated was odd, then any group of bits that arrives with an even number of 1s for that data must be in error. The data can then be regenerated using the parity information from the other disks. Some storage array controllers can eliminate most of the RAID5 write penalty by gathering writes in mirrored cache, calculating the parity only once for all the data gathered, then writing it down to disks. This reduces the number of reads and writes that need to occur for multiple write streams which is very efficient for streaming write data like transaction logs for databases. The best place I found to reference this stuff, is from a book called "The RAID Book", which was published by Digital press a few years back.

34. Using a RAID-5 Volume (cont’d.) MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 34 Figure 7-15 Disks in a RAID-5 volume Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning % UTILIZATION = ________________

35. Software RAID vs. Hardware RAID Software RAID –Implements fault tolerance through the server’s operating system Hardware RAID –Implemented through the server hardware –Independent of the operating system –More expensive than software RAID –Offers many advantages over software RAID MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 35

36. Windows Server 2008 Storage Enhancements Management of Storage Area Networks Using multiple paths to storage for fault tolerance For medium to large networks MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 36

37. Storage Manager for SANs and LUNs Storage Area Network (SAN) –Grouping of storage devices that forms a subnet –Uses Fibre Channel or iSCSI technology Storage Manager for SANs –Manage logical unit numbers for Small Computer System Interface drives 32- or 64-bit computer adapter that transports data between one or more attached devices Logical unit number (LUN) –Identifies a physical SCSI drive or logical SCSI targets MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 37

38. LUN In computer storage, a logical unit number, or LUN, is a number used to identify a logical unit, which is a device addressed by the SCSI protocol or protocols which encapsulate SCSI, such as Fibre Channel or iSCSI. A LUN may be used with any device which supports read/write operations, such as a tape drive, but is most often used to refer to a logical disk as created on a SAN. Though not technically correct, the term "LUN" is often also used to refer to the logical disk itself.computer storageSCSI Fibre ChanneliSCSItape drive logical diskSANlogical disk

39. Storage Manager for SANs and LUNs (cont’d.) Types of LUNs –Simple –Spanned –Striped –Mirrored –Striped with parity Virtual Disk Service (VDS) –Enables management of disk volumes in SANs through one interface at a server Storage Manager for SANs –Three windows of operation MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 39

40. Multipath Input/Output Enhancements Multipath I/O –Establishes multiple paths between a server and its disk storage Set up multipath I/O –Create the multiple paths between the storage and the server or servers –Install Multipath I/O and Device Specific Module (DSM) Windows Server 2008 DSM configuration models –Six models to choose from MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 40

41. Features of the included DSM The Microsoft DSM provides the following load balancing policies. Note that load balance policies are generally dependent on the controller model (ALUA or true Active/Active) of the storage array attached to Windows- based computers. The Microsoft DSM preserves load balance settings even after the computer is restarted. When no policy has been set by a management application, the default policy that is used by the DSM is either Round Robin, when the storage controller follows the true Active/Active model, or simple failover in the case of storage controllers that support the SPC-3 ALUA model. With simple Failover, any one of the available paths can be used as the primary path, and remaining paths are used as standby paths.

42. DSM CONFIGURATION MODEL TYPES Failover No load balancing is performed. The application specifies a primary path and a set of standby paths. The primary path is used for processing device requests. If the primary path fails, one of the standby paths is used. Standby paths must be listed in decreasing order of preference (the most preferred path first). Failback Failback is the ability to dedicate I/O to a preferred path whenever it is functioning. If the preferred path fails, I/O is directed to an alternate path until function is restored to the preferred path, but I/O automatically switches back to the preferred path when function is restored. Round-robin The DSM uses all available paths for I/O in a balanced, round-robin fashion. Round-robin with a subset of paths The application specifies a set of paths to be used in a round-robin fashion, and a set of standby paths. The DSM uses paths from primary pool of paths for processing requests, as long as at least one of the paths is available. The DSM uses a standby path only when all primary paths fail. Standby paths must be listed in decreasing order of preference (most preferred path first). If one or more of the primary paths become available, DSM uses the standby paths in their order of preference. For example, given 4 paths — A, B, C, and D — A, B, and C are listed as primary paths, and D is standby path. The DSM chooses a path from A, B, and C in round-robin fashion as long as at least one of them is available. If all three fail, the DSM uses D, the standby path. If A, B, or C become available, DSM stops using D and switches to available paths among A, B, and C. Dynamic Least Queue Depth The DSM routes I/O to the path with the least number of outstanding requests. Weighted Path The application assigns weights to each path; the weight indicates the relative priority of a given path. The larger the number, the lower the priority. The DSM chooses the path that has the least weight from among the available paths.

43. Disk Backup Advantages of performing backups from a backup device installed on the server –No extra load is produced on the network –Can perform backups on a multiple-server network, even if a backup device fails on one of the servers MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 43

44. Disk Backup (cont’d.) Advantages of performing a network backup –Backup jobs can be stored on a single backup media –One administrator can be responsible for backing up multiple servers Disadvantage –Increase in network traffic MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 44

45. Windows Server Backup Windows Server Backup tool –Install with Server Manager Enhanced features –Better options to recover specific objects –More backup options including Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) –More reliable in recovering applications –Provides information about disk use –Offers the wbadmin command-line tool –Full support to back up to optical media MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 45

46. Windows Server Backup (cont’d.) Considerations for using the Windows Server Backup tool –Only backs up NTFS volumes –Does not back up to tape –Cannot restore Windows Server 2003 backups Activity 7-9: Installing the Windows Server Backup Tool –Objective: Install the Windows Server Backup tool –To use Windows Server Backup, you must be a member of the Backup Operators or Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 46

47. Backup Options Full backup –Backup of an entire system, including all system files, programs, and data files Incremental backup –Only backs up files that are new or that have been updated –Backs up only files that have the archive attribute marked Custom backup –Configure backups differently for each volume MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 47

48. Backup Options (cont’d.) Activity 7-10: Backing Up a Server –Objective: Perform a full backup MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 48

49. Scheduling Backups Scheduling –Automatically start backups after regular work hours –Or at a specific time of day MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 49 Figure 7-19 Specifying the backup time Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning

50. Configuring Backup Performance Specify which types of backups to perform: –Full, incremental, and custom –Default is full MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 50 Figure 7-20 Optimizing backup performance Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning

51. Developing a Data Backup and Recovery Strategy Advantage of a full backup –Contains the system state data as well as all applications and user data Use Backup Schedule Wizard to regularly schedule backups Disaster recovery plan –Store a copy of a backup off-site in case of fire, flooding, or some other natural disaster –Use off-site backup services or software MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 51

52. Useful wbadmin.exe Commands wbadmin.exe command-line program –Offers advantages over the GUI-based Windows Server Backup Tool Install wbadmin.exe in Server Core MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 52 Table 7-2 wbadmin.exe commands

53. Performing a Recovery Windows Server Backup tool allows recovery of: –Files –Folders –Volumes –Applications and application data –Backup catalog (of information in the backup) –Operating system (to the same computer or to another computer using identical hardware) MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 53

54. Summary Basic and dynamic disks –Dynamic disks can be configured as simple, spanned, striped, mirrored, and RAID-5 volumes Disk Management tool –Create basic and dynamic disks Disk Check and chkdsk tools –Find and repair disk problems Enhancements for Windows Server 2008 include new features for Storage Manager for SANs and features for Multipath I/O MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 54

55. Summary (cont’d.) Windows Server Backup –Schedule backups, perform full or incremental backups and recover data from backups wbadmin.exe tool –Version of Windows Server Backup that can be used from the command line –Particularly important for Server Core users –Use to perform a System State backup MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Server Administration (Exam #70-646) 55