Module 3

Implementing enterprise storage

solutions
Module Overview

• Overview of DAS, NAS, and SANs

• Comparing Fibre Channel, iSCSI, and Fibre
Channel over Ethernet
• Understanding iSNS, DCB, and MPIO
• Configuring sharing in Windows Server 2016
Lesson 1: Overview of DAS, NAS, and SANs

• Discussion: Which storage solutions are deployed

in your environment?
• What is DAS?
• What is NAS?
• What is a SAN?
• Comparison and scenarios for usage
• Block-level storage vs. file-level storage
 What is DAS?

DAS is physically attached to the server

Advantages: Disadvantages:
• Easy to configure • Isolated, because the disks are
• Inexpensive attached to a single server
solution • Less flexible for allocation

Server with attached disks

What is NAS?

NAS is storage that is attached to a dedicated storage

device and accessed through network shares like SMB or
NFS
Advantages:
NAS device
• Relatively inexpensive,
NAS offers centralized
storage at an affordable
price Local Area
Network
• Easy to configure (Ethernet)

Disadvantages:
• Slower access times File-level access
(SMB, CIFS, NFS)
• Not an enterprise
File server
solution
Network
 What is a SAN?

SANs offers higher availability with the most flexibility

Advantages:
Servers • Fastest access times
• Low latentcy
• Easily expandable
• Centralized storage
Switches
• High level of redundancy
Disadvantages:
• More expensive
• Requires specialized skills
Storage devices

Implement SANs by using Fibre Channel or iSCSI

Comparison and scenarios for usage

• DAS:
• Least complex
• Lowest setup costs

• NAS:
• Best solution for specific situations
• Complementary to DAS and SAN

• SAN:
• Highest performing
• Has the most features

• Future trends:
• Windows Server storage features are expanding to
improve capabilities when using DAS
Block-level storage vs. file-level storage

Block-level storage:
• Is high-performing
• Is often SAN-based
• Presents LUNs to servers
• Is not the most cost-effective
• Uses iSCSI(3260), Fibre Channel, or Fibre Channel over
Ethernet

File-level storage:
• Is delivered via NAS, a storage server, or a file server
• Uses CIFS(139)/SMB(445) (shared folders) or NFS(111)
(exports)
• Uses block-level storage on the storage backend
Lesson 2: Comparing Fibre Channel, iSCSI, and
Fibre Channel over Ethernet

• What is Fibre Channel?

• Considerations for implementing Fibre Channel
• What is iSCSI?
• iSCSI components
• Considerations for implementing iSCSI
• Core storage components
• Demonstration: Configuring an iSCSI target
What is Fibre Channel?

Fibre Channel components include:

• A SAN
• A computer with an HBA card
• A Fibre Channel switch

Fibre Channel over Ethernet:

• Gives you the benefits of Fibre Channel while using an
inexpensive, preexisting Ethernet infrastructure

Fibre Channel layouts include:

• Arbitrated loop
• Point-to-point
• Switched fabric
Considerations for implementing Fibre Channel

Infrastructure considerations:
• Existing switch and cabling infrastructure
• Existing servers and HBAs
• Existing storage infrastructure

Costs
• Fibre Channel is often more expensive than other solutions
• Large initial investment required
• Initial and ongoing training might add considerably to the
cost
 What is iSCSI?

iSCSI transmits SCSI commands over IP networks

Component Description
iSCSI client
that runs the
TCP/IP Network that provides high
iSCSI
network performance and redundancy
initiator
iSCSI targets Servers that run on the storage

protocol
device and enable access to

TCP/IP
the disks

iSCSI Software component or host

initiators adapter on the server that
provides access to iSCSI targets Storage
array
iSCSI IQN Globally unique identifier that
iSCSI uses to address initiators
and targets on an iSCSI
network iSCSI Target Server
iSCSI components
The iSCSI Target Server: The iSCSI initiator:
• Is available as a role service in
• Runs as a service in the
Windows Server 2016 operating system
• Provides the following
functionality:
• Network or diskless boot • Is installed by default on
• Server application storage Windows Vista and
Windows Server 2008 and
• Heterogeneous storage newer operating systems
• Lab environments
• Has the following features:
• Authentication • Requires only to be started
and configured to connect
• Query initiator computer for ID the computer to the iSCSI
• Virtual hard drives target
• Scalability
• Manageability
Considerations for implementing iSCSI

The primary factors to consider when planning on

using iSCSI are:
• Network speeds and performance
• High availability
• Security
• Vendor information
• Infrastructure staff
• Application teams

Alternative solutions to iSCSI are Fibre Channel,

Fibre Channel over Ethernet, and InfiniBand
Core storage components

• Network adapters are usually used on Ethernet

networks
• HBAs are usually used on storage networks such
as SAN
• Converged network adapters can be used on
Ethernet networks or SANs
• InfiniBand host channel adapters are used on
InfiniBand networks, specialized for high
throughput, and low latency
• Disk controllers facilitate communication between
disk drives and a CPU
Demonstration: Configuring an iSCSI target

In this demonstration, you will see how to:

• Add the iSCSI Target Server role service
• Create two iSCSI virtual disks and an iSCSI target
• Connect to the iSCSI target
• Verify the presence of the iSCSI drive
Lesson 3: Understanding iSNS, DCB, and MPIO

• What is iSNS?
• What is DCB?
• What is MPIO?
• Demonstration: Configuring MPIO
What is iSNS?

The iSNS Server service is a Windows feature that:

• Has three primary components: the iSNS server,
iSNS client, and iSNS database
• Has several advantages, including that it:
• Reduces administrative overhead by automating the
configuration of iSCSI clients
• Is compatible with iSCSI and Fibre Channel
• Can make an IP network function like a SAN
• Can integrate IP and Fibre Channel networks seamlessly
• used to automatically discover, manage, and configure
iSCSI devices on a TCP/IP network
• Is not yet in widespread use
What is iSNS?

• iSNS Functions:
• A name service. All entities in a storage network can use
this service to register their names and other
information in the database
• A Discovery Domain and login control service. This
service helps to divide storage nodes into groups
• A state change notification service. The iSNS server uses
this service to issue notifications about events on the
network
• Mapping information to an iSNS database. iSNS maps
naming and discovery information about iSCSI and Fibre
Channel devices to an iSNS database
What is DCB?

Features of DCB include:

• Congestion notification
• Helps the devices sending data to regulate the traffic that they
are generating in order to avoid congestion
• Priority-based flow control
• Manage control based on the type of data being transmitted on
the network (Flow Control)
• Enhanced transmission selection
• Reserves bandwidth for iSCSI and other network protocols and
maintains reliability
• Data Center Bridging Capabilities eXchange (DCBX)
protocol
• Enables network adapters and switches to communicate and
share capabilities and configuration information
What is DCB?
Server1 Server2 Server3

Stop sending

Stop sending

Fast
iSCSI
Slow SAN
iSCSI
SAN
What is MPIO?
• MPIO is a storage network enhancement that provides
multiple physical paths from a computer to a block
storage provider
• You use MPIO mainly in these situations:
• To create or maintain a highly available storage
infrastructure when combined with other high-
availability technologies
• Designed for failover clustering, network load
balancing, and datacenter availability
• Microsoft MPIO can handle up to 32 paths to the
storage infrastructure.
• To maximize throughput for high-performance
requirements
• MPIO works in parallel with other software that works
in conjunction with the MPIO software for
initialization events
What is MPIO?

• Redundant network adapters,

Server
converged network adapters,
or HBAs in server
• MPIO enabled on server

Switches
• Dual switches
• Switches have
redundant connections
to storage devices
• Redundant storage
Storage devices devices
Demonstration: Configuring MPIO

In this demonstration, you will see how to configure

MPIO
Lesson 4: Configuring sharing in Windows Server 2016

• What is SMB?
• Configuring SMB shares
• Demonstration: Configuring SMB shares by using
Server Manager and Windows PowerShell
• What is NFS?
• Configuring NFS shares
• Demonstration: Configuring an NFS share by
using Server Manager
What is SMB?

• SMB is the file-sharing protocol that Windows

client and server operating systems use
• Each new version has additional features
• SMB 3.0 introduced large performance benefits
• SMB 3.0.2 added:
• Scale-Out File Server
• Removable SMB 1.x

• SMB 3.1.1 added:

• Pre-authentication integrity
• SMB encryption improvements
• Cluster dialect fencing
Configuring SMB shares

There are three SMB share profiles:

• Quick
• Uses a new share wizard to configure other options
• Access-based enumeration, share caching, encrypted data access,
and permissions
• Advanced
• Managed through FSRM
• Folder owners, default data classification, and quotas
• Applications
• Settings for Hyper-V, databases, and other server applications
• You cannot configure access-based enumeration, share caching,
default data classification, or quotas
Configuring SMB shares

• Windows PowerShell cmdlets for SMB share

management:

• New-SmbShare
• Set-SmbShare
• Remove-SmbShare
• Get-SmbShare
• Get-SmbSession
• Get-SmbOpenFile
• Set-SmbBandwidthLimit
Demonstration: Configuring SMB shares by
using Server Manager and Windows PowerShell

In this demonstration, you will see how to:

• Create an SMB share by using Server Manager
• Create an SMB share by using Windows
PowerShell
• View SMB session information
What is NFS?

• NFS is a file system based on open standards

• Current version is 4.1
• Windows NFS components include:
• Client for NFS
• Server for NFS
• Support for Kerberos v5 authentication
• The primary uses for NFS are:
• Storage for VMware virtual machines
• Sharing data across multiple operating systems
• Sharing data across different IT infrastructures after a
company merger
Configuring NFS shares

• Install the Server for NFS server role

• Two options for NFS share profile:
• NFS Share – Quick
• NFS Share – Advanced

• Authentication options:
• Kerberos v5 authentication
• No server authentication

• Share permissions define allowed and denied

hosts
• Follow best practices
Demonstration: Configuring an NFS share by
using Server Manager

In this demonstration, you will see how to configure

an NFS share by using Server Manager
Lab: Planning and configuring storage
technologies and components

• Exercise 1: Planning storage requirements

• Exercise 2: Configuring iSCSI storage
• Exercise 3: Configuring and managing the share
infrastructure
Logon Information

Virtual machines: 20740C-LON-DC1

20740C-LON-SVR1
User name: Adatum\Administrator
Password: Pa55w.rd

Estimated Time: 60 minutes

Lab Scenario

You are a Storage Administrator in Adatum

Corporation, and part of your job is to ensure that
your data storage systems meet both short-term
and long-term business needs that evolve
regularly.
Lab Review

• Implementing MPIO for iSCSI is not as simple as

installing MPIO. In this lab, what other steps did
you perform to enable MPIO?
• When you use Get-SmbOpenFile, do all open files
display?
Module Review and Takeaways

• Review Questions
• Tools