Lesson 3: Configuring

Local Storage
MOAC 70-410: Installing and
Configuring Windows Server 2012 R2
Planning Server Storage
Lesson 3: Configuring Local Storage

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2

Planning Server Storage
When planning storage solutions for a
server, you must consider many factors:
• The amount of storage the server needs
• The number of users that will be accessing the
server at the same time
• The sensitivity of the data to be stored on the
server
• The importance of the data to the organization

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 3

How Many Servers
Do I Need?
When is one big file server preferable to
several smaller ones?
Consider the storage limitations of Windows Server 2012 R2
ReFS.
Attribute Limit based on the on-disk format
Maximum size of a single file 264-1 bytes

Maximum size of a single volume Format supports 278 bytes with 16KB cluster size.
Windows stack addressing allows 2 64 bytes

Maximum number of files in a directory 264

Maximum number of directories in a volume 264
Maximum file name length 32K unicode characters
Maximum path length 32K
Maximum size of any storage pool 4 petabytes
Maximum number of storage pools in a system No limit
Maximum number of spaces in a storage pool No limit
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 4
Estimating Storage
Requirements
The amount of space you need in a server
depends on a variety of factors, not just the
requirements of your applications and users:
• Operating system: Depends on roles and
features chosen
• Paging file: Depends on RAM and number of VMs
• Memory dump: Space to hold the contents of
memory + 1MB
• Log files: From Event Viewer
• Shadow copies: Can utilize up to 10% of space
• Fault tolerance: Disk mirroring versus parity

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 5

Using Storage Spaces
• Enables a server to concatenate storage
space from individual physical disks to
create virtual disks of any size.
• Storage pools can span multiple drives
invisibly that can be expanded or reduced
as needed.
• Virtual disks of any size can be created.
o Once created, they behave just like a
physical disk, and you can create volumes.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 6

Understanding Windows
Disk Settings
Lesson 3: Configuring Local Storage

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 7

Windows Disk Settings
The Windows Setup program automatically
prepares the primary hard disk for the
system, but when you add new hard disks,
you must:
• Select a partitioning style.
• Select a disk type.
• Divide the disk into partitions or volumes.
• Format the partitions or volumes with a file
system.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 8

Selecting a Partition Style
• Master Boot Record (MBR)
o Common partition style for x86- and x64-
based computers
• GUID Partition Table (GPT)
o New since the late ’90s
o Most operating systems now support GPT

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 9

GPT and MBR
• Supports up to 128 • Supports up to 4 primary
partitions or 3 primary
primary partitions partitions and 1 extended
• Supports volumes up partition, with unlimited
logical drives on the
to 18 exabytes extended partition
• Partitions store data • Supports volumes up to 2
critical to platform terabytes
operation • Hidden (unpartitioned)
sectors store data critical to
• Replication and CRC platform operation
protection of the • Replication and cyclical
partition table provide redundancy checks (CRCs)
are not features of MBR’s
increased reliability partition table

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 10

Disk Types
Basic Disk Dynamic Disk
• Compatible with older OS • Supported by Windows
• Consists of primary and 2000 and up
extended partitions • Does not use traditional
• Supports up to 4 partitions partitioning
(per single hard drive)
• Dynamic disks can
• Basic disks also can be
combine two or more
configured for any of 3
RAID levels:
physical disks into one
o Disk striping (RAID 0) dynamic disk
o Disk mirroring (RAID 1) • Dynamic disks divided
o Disk striping with parity into volumes
(RAID 5)

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 11

Primary and Extended Partitions
with MBR

Primary and extended partitions on a basic disk

using MBR

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 12

Partitions Compared:
Primary versus Extended
• A primary partition • Extended partitions cannot
functions as though it is a host an operating system.
physically separate disk • You cannot mark an
and can host an operating extended partition as an
system. active partition.
• It can be marked as an • A basic disk using MBR can
active partition. contain only 1 extended
• On a basic disk using MBR, partition, but unlimited
you can create up to 4 logical drives.
primary partitions or 3 • You do not format the
primary partitions and 1 extended partition itself, but
extended partition. the logical drives it contains.
• You format each primary You assign a unique drive
letter to each logical drive.
partition and assign a
unique drive letter.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 13
Primary Partitions with GPT

Primary partitions on a basic disk using GPT

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 14

Working with Disks
Lesson 3: Configuring Local Storage

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 15

Working with Disks
• Disks can be managed from the command
line or through graphical tools.
• Server Manager contains a File and
Storage Services submenu to manage
storage pools, create virtual disks, and
perform some standard disk and volume
management tasks.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 16

Working with Disks

The File and Storage Services submenu in

Server Manager
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 17
Working with Disks
Disk Management MMC snap-in is the traditional tool for
performing disk-related tasks:
• Initializing disks
• Selecting a partition style
• Converting basic disks to dynamic disks
• Creating partitions and volumes
• Extending, shrinking, and deleting volumes
• Formatting partitions and volumes
• Assigning and changing driver letters and paths
• Examining and managing physical disk properties,
such as disk quotas, folder sharing, and error checking

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 18

Creating and
Mounting VHDs
• Hyper-V relies on the Virtual Hard Disk
(VHD) format to store virtual disk data in
files that can easily be transferred from
one computer to another.
• The Disk Management snap-in in Windows
Server 2012 R2 enables you to create VHD
files and mount them on the computer.
• A dismounted VHD can be moved or
copied as needed.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 19

Create a VHD

A newly created and attached VHD

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 20

Creating a Storage Pool
Once you have installed your physical disks,
you can concatenate their space into a
storage pool, from which you can create
virtual disks of any size.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 21

Storage Pools and Virtual Disks

A new disk in the Virtual Disks tile in Server Manager

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 22

Copyright 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction or translation of this work beyond that
named in Section 117 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without the
express written consent of the copyright owner is unlawful. Requests for
further information should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John
Wiley & Sons, Inc. The purchaser may make back-up copies for his/her own
use only and not for distribution or resale. The Publisher assumes no
responsibility for errors, omissions, or damages, caused by the use of these
programs or from the use of the information contained herein.