Week 11 - File and Storage Services (2).pptx

Week 11: File and Storage Services NTWK-8070: Windows Server Roles and Features This week… This week we will learn about: • What is FSS • What is FSS Used For • FSS History • Basic FSS Implementation • … And More! Intro to FSS, The role What is FSS • A set of technologies that help with managi...

Week 11: File and Storage Services NTWK-8070: Windows Server Roles and Features This week… This week we will learn about: • What is FSS • What is FSS Used For • FSS History • Basic FSS Implementation • … And More! Intro to FSS, The role What is FSS • A set of technologies that help with managing one or more file servers • File servers are “centralized repositories of files that exist on your network for clients to access” • Offers centralized backup and file management • File Storage Services – Installed automatically Some features of FSS • • • • • Storage Pools/Storage Spaces Folder Redirection Work Folders Data Deduplication iSCSI (Also a separate topic) What are Storage Pools/Spaces? • Storage Pools are the fundamental beginning of the FSS structure • They aggregate physical disks (or virtual… less common) into pools • Can create one or multiple pools (depending on how many disks are allocated) • Allow for creating tiered storage • Allow for dynamic expansion • All unassigned disks are part of a storage pool known as the “Primordial Storage” Where can you find Storage Pools? Creating a new Pool Creating a new Pool – p2 Creating a new Pool – p3 So, what comes after Pool Creation? • Next, you have to create a Virtual Disk! • A virtual Disk is like a “hard drive” • You can have multiple virtual disks on one Storage Pool, provided you have enough storage • After you create a Virtual Disk, you then make “volumes” – which are like partitions on a hard drive Virtual Disk Creation Enclosure Awareness • Not frequently used • Requires extra hardware • Essentially copies your data from one disk to another – allowing you to have multiple copies of the data • https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-ca/storage-md1400-dsms/ dsms_bpg_pub/enclosure-awareness?guid=guid-e7d542d3-d25b-4ec1ac43-6f145a4071c1&lang=en-us Now we select the RAID option What is RAID? • RAID is a technology that allows and build on fault-tolerance (more on that in your NTWK-8090 course). • It can either keep copies, or spread your data across different disks, to ensure that you can loose drives without losing data. • Redundant Array of Independent Drives Thin or Fixed? Thin or Fixed – aka Thick provisioning • This allows your disk size to be as big as the size of your data • The disk is a virtual disk • A 100GB disk with 50mb of data is ~50mb in size, but can grow and shrink dynamically • Allows for “Overprovisioning” – aka giving more storage than you actually have, in hopes of expanding later (and hoping that your client does not reach the promised cap before then) What happens next? • You create a New Volume • A Volume is like a partition on a hard drive • Specify a size, virtual disk, path, and file system Path Selection File System Selection What is a File System? • A File System is a data storage structure that controls how data is stored and retrieved. • It may have a number of features to help prevent data corruption and help files be accessed quicker. • Additional features may include native support for encryption. Types of File Systems • • • • • • FAT exFAT NTFS EXT ReFS … Just a short list FAT? • • • • File Allocation Table Very old file system (1977!) Limited to 4GB files Require defragmentation to function optimally • Really limited to 32GB in order to ensure that the filesystem remains useable exFAT • Extended FAT • Introduced in 2006 by Microsoft • Cross-compatible with Apple OSX and Windows • Support large files, and a maximum disk size (recommended) 512TiB (tibbibytes!) • Still somewhat limited (defrag often, not compatible natively with *nix) NTFS • • • • • New Technology File System Also quite old – introduced by Microsoft in 1993! Can be as big as 16 MILLION TERRABYTES Require less-frequent defragmentation Limited read-write compatibility (Linux can read and write, Apple needs a driver) • Very frequently used ReFS • Resilient File System • New and modern – 2012 • Based on Btrfs (B-Tree File System, Better filesystem) • Built in resilience, optimized for integrity checking, and overall performance improvements for heavy and large workloads) EXT • A Linux/Unix-based filesystem • Is not natively compatible with Windows The other stuff FSS is also used in… • • • • • • Folder Redirection Offline Files Roaming User Profiles Work Folders Data Deduplication iSCSI What is Folder Redirection • Is used to offload the “local user profile folders” – such as Documents, Pictures, etc onto a centralized storage location to prevent data loss • Users should never store files on local machines (they can be wiped, data can be lost • Centralized storage can alleviate this by providing centralized backups (which you configure) What are Offline Files? • A technology/feature that allows users to keep a file copy on their local machine, allowing them to work while offline • Good for those traveling without internet connectivity • Can cause conflicts when multiple people work on the same files • Used typically for a user’s files – not global corporate documents • Instead consider systems such as SharePoint or ones that allow you to “check out What are Roaming User Profiles? • Allows users to access a “user profile that is automatically loaded upon login” • A mechanism allowing a user to log into any machine in your organization (in which Roaming Profiles are enabled) – and get all their files (and settings sometimes) • Can slow down the network if large profiles must be loaded • Not typically used – users use centralized storage instead What are Work Folders? • Work folders merge the line between “home and work PC” by allowing access to corporate files on personal machines • Also applies policies that are able to restrict data access, sharing and certain OS settings – such as enforcing passwords and lockscreen timeouts What is Data Dedup? • Data Deduplication • Allows you to save space by consolidating data and parts of data • Removes “duplicates” while still keeping the file – does not delete the file, but links applicable “data” from one file to another • Very complex and resource intensive What is iSCSI • Provides “block level access to remote • Essentially a robust protocol for accessing network storage • Typically used as enterprise storage connectivity between servers and SANs What do all of these have in common? • They all are parts of Windows Server • Are all part of your overall data storage and redundancy strategy • Are important to ensure data stability • And should be regularly reviewed for stability and functionality. … Meanwhile in NTWK-8090 • You will be covering data protection and more • Data is the single most important part of your organization, without data, you cannot serve customers • Without customers, you don’t earn money • Without money, your organization is no longer viable End of Lecture, Questions?