Getting Started with Windows Server Storage

Published:5 December 2022 - 9 min. read

Leo Castillote Image

Leo Castillote

Read more tutorials by Leo Castillote!

Azure Cloud Labs: these FREE, on‑demand Azure Cloud Labs will get you into a real‑world environment and account, walking you through step‑by‑step how to best protect, secure, and recover Azure data.

Availability and access to data from various locations are vital for an organization’s smooth operation. And if you’re looking for ways to organize your shared folders and files or to keep copies of data from one server to another, Windows Servers Storage has a lot in store for you.

In this tutorial, you will learn how you can take advantage of the Windows Server Storage functionality.

Read on and start securely sharing data with your team!

Prerequisites

This tutorial will be a hands-on demonstration. To follow along, be sure you have the following:

  • A working AD DS, a domain controller, and two file servers.
  • A domain administrator account.

Creating Basic File Shares with Windows Servers Storage

A network (shared) folder is beneficial for users to save and share their files. But how? Creating shared folders for everyone or specific groups of people across the domain is a task the Windows Server Storage functionality can handle.

To see how shared folders work, you will create one via the Files and Storage Services inside the Server Manager.

1. Open the Server Manager, and click Files and Storage Services in the left panel or under the ROLES AND SERVER GROUPS to launch the Files and Storage Services manager.

Windows Server Storage : Opening the File and Storage Services
Windows Server Storage : Opening the File and Storage Services

2. Next, click Shares (left panel) → TASKS dropdown field → New Share to initiate creating a new share.

Creating a new share
Creating a new share

3. In the New Share Wizard, select SMB Share – Quick as the File share profile to create a general and basic file share, and click Next.

Choosing a file share profile (SMB Share - Quick)
Choosing a file share profile (SMB Share – Quick)

4. Now, select the Type a custom path option, set the share location (C:\Shared), and click Next.

Choosing a custom share path
Choosing a custom share path

5. Keep the default settings below, and click Next.

  • Share name – The default share name is the folder name.Local path to share – The path of the shared folder.Remote path to share – The network path of your shared folder in this format: \\ServerName\ShareName

Keeping the default share name settings
Keeping the default share name settings

6. Click OK when prompted to create the share path (C:\Shared).

Confirming creating the share path
Confirming creating the share path

7. Next, keep the Allow caching of share ticked, and click Next. This option lets users take advantage of the share’s content while offline.

The other options are disabled by default, but they function as follows when enabled:

Share SettingFunction
Access-based enumerationHides files and folders from users that do not have at least read permissions to access them.
Encrypt data accessKeeps data secured against unauthorized access during the transfer from and to the share.
Allowing caching of share
Allowing caching of share

8. Click Next since you already have the necessary user permissions for this tutorial.

Keeping default permissions
Keeping default permissions

9. Confirm your settings selections, and click Create to create the share.

Creating the file share
Creating the file share

10. Click Close once the wizard successfully creates the share and sets permissions.

Closing the wizard
Closing the wizard

11. Lastly, repeat steps one to nine to create another share on the second server.

💡 Discover the File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) for Windows to manage how users share files and folders.

Enabling the DFS Namespaces and DFS Replication Roles

Regardless of which server you are working on, you typically want your files to be available in a heartbeat. The DFS Namespaces and DFS Replication roles provide structure and high availability to file sharing.

To take advantage of these roles, you must install them first:

1. Open the Server Manager on your file server.

2. Under QUICK START, click Add roles and features, which opens a configuration wizard.

Alternatively, click the Manage menu (upper-right), and choose Add roles and features.

Adding roles and features
Adding roles and features

3. Tick the box below to skip this page by default in the future, and click Next to continue.

Skipping the first page by default
Skipping the first page by default

4. Now, select the Role-based or feature-based installation option since you are only configuring a single server, and click Next.

Choosing an installation type
Choosing an installation type

5. Choose a destination server with the following:

  • Select the Select a server from the server pool option to list all available servers.Choose your server from the list that populates under Server Pool.Click Next to set the selected server as the destination server.

Selecting the destination server
Selecting the destination server

6. Add the DFS Namespace and DFS Replication roles as follows:

  • Expand File and Storage Services → File and iSCSI Services.Tick the DFS Namespaces box, and a pop-up window appears.In the pop-up window, click Add Features to confirm adding the features.Tick the DFS Replication box, and click Next.

💡 Install DFS Replication only if you intend to replicate files on your servers.

Choosing roles and features to install
Choosing roles and features to install

7. Keep the default features, and click Next.

Keeping the default features
Keeping the default features

8. Review the installation summary, and click Install to install the selected roles and features.

Installing the selected roles and features
Installing the selected roles and features

9. Once installed, click Close to finish the installation and close the wizard.

Closing the installation wizard
Closing the installation wizard

10. Finally, follow steps two to nine to install DFS Namespaces and DFS Replication roles on the second file server.

Setting Up DFS Namespaces

You have successfully installed DFS Namespaces, but this role is not doing anything unless you create a namespace. DFS Namespaces allows you to group shared folders from different servers into one or more logically organized namespaces.

For example, you can group shared folders for similar purposes, like training materials for any department from separate locations.

To set up DFS Namespaces:

1. Click the Tools menu (upper-right) in the Server Manager, and choose DFS Management.

Accessing the DFS Management
Accessing the DFS Management

2. Next, right-click Namespaces (left panel), and select New Namespace, which opens a wizard where you can configure a new namespace (step three).

Creating a new namespace
Creating a new namespace

3. Click Browse, which opens a small window where you can select the server you need to host the namespace.

Browsing for the host server
Browsing for the host server

4. Type the server’s name, click Check Names to verify you chose an existing server, and click OK to confirm the selection.

Selecting an existing server
Selecting an existing server

5. Now, after selecting the server, click Next to continue.

Confirming the selected server
Confirming the selected server

6. Set a Name for the namespace (i.e., Shared), and click Next.

Naming the namespace
Naming the namespace

If you get a warning, as shown below, click Yes to keep the existing shared folder and its security settings.

Confirming keeping the existing shared folder
Confirming keeping the existing shared folder

7. Next, configure the namespace type with the below information:

  • Select the Domain-based namespace option for higher namespace server availability.Tick the Enable Windows Server 2008 mode box for compatibility with server versions as old as Windows Server 2008.Click Next to continue.

Choosing the namespace type to domain-based
Choosing the namespace type to domain-based

8. Complete setting up the DFS Namespace as follows:

  • Review the details of your namespace settings.

  • Take note of the namespace name, as you will need to access it later.

Notice that the root shared folder says Do not create a shared folder because you chose to keep an existing file share for your namespace.

  • Click Create to complete creating the namespace setup.

Completing namespace creation
Completing namespace creation

9. After creating the namespace, click Close to close the wizard.

Closing the New Namespace Wizard
Closing the New Namespace Wizard

10. Now, open File Explorer and navigate to your shared folder via the namespace name you noted in step nine (\\techlab.ga\Shared).

If successful, you will see an output similar to the one below.

Navigating to the namespace
Navigating to the namespace

Setting Up DFS Replication

DFS Replication is mainly for high data availability. DFS Replication allows you to replicate data for backup or content-sharing purposes. In this example, you will create a multipurpose replication group.

1. Right click Replication (left panel) in the DFS Management tool, and choose New Replication Group. A wizard appears, where you will configure a new replication group.

Creating a new replication group
Creating a new replication group

2. Next, pick one from the two replication group type:

Replication Group TypeDescription
Multipurpose replication groupConfigures replication between two or more servers for any scenario that needs file sharing.
Replication group for data collectionThis replication group type is for data replication between two servers for backup purposes.

But for this example, choose the Multipurpose replication group option, and click Next.

electing a replication group type
electing a replication group type

3. Input a replication group name, like Shared Group, and click Next since the wizard automatically fills in the Domain.

💡 If the Domain field is empty, click Browse and manually select your domain.

Choosing a name and domain for the replication group
Choosing a name and domain for the replication group

4. Now, click Add, and a pop-up window appears, where you will select the servers to add as group members.

Adding members to the replication group
Adding members to the replication group

5. Input the name of two or more servers (separated by a semi-colon), and click Check Names to verify the servers’ existence in the domain. Once verified, click OK to add these servers as members of your replication group.

💡 Although you are creating the replication group on one of your servers, you must still add that server as a member of the said group.

Verifying servers to add as replication group members
Verifying servers to add as replication group members

6. After adding the members, click Next to continue.

rep group member
rep group member

7. Pick one from the three Topology options, which are as follows:

TopologyDescription
Hub and spokeThis option is disabled by default if you are working with less than three servers. Data originates from hub members and replicates to the spoke members. But spoke members do not replicate data from one another.
Full meshThis option is disabled by default if you are working with less than three servers. Data originates from hub members and replicates to the spoke members. But spoke members do not replicate data from one another.
No topologyThis option lets you create a custom topology after creating a replication group. Replication will only take place after you create a custom topology.

But for this example, select the Full mesh topology, and click Next.

Selecting topology
Selecting topology

8. Select the Replicate continuously using the specified bandwidth option, leave the Bandwidth at Full, and click Next.

Replicating continuously with full bandwidth
Replicating continuously with full bandwidth

9. Now, choose your Primary member in the field below and click Next.

The primary member is the server where you are setting up the replication group for simplicity.

💡 The folder and files on the primary member have higher precedence if the folders to replicate already exist on multiple servers during initial replication.

Nominating the primary member
Nominating the primary member

10. Click Add, which opens a small window where you will select a folder on the primary member for other members to replicate.

Adding folders to replicate
Adding folders to replicate

11. Set the shared folder path to replicate as follows:

  • Type or browse the shared folder path (C:\Shared) on the primary member.Select the Use name based on path option for simplicity.Click OK to confirm the specified folder path, and close the pop-up window.

Selecting which folder to replicate
Selecting which folder to replicate

12. After adding the shared folder, click Next to continue.

Confirming the added folder to replicate
Confirming the added folder to replicate

13. Select the name of the appropriate member, and click Edit to edit the member’s general properties.

Editing a member’s properties
Editing a member’s properties

14. Configure the selected member’s general properties with the following:

  • Select the Enabled option to keep the shared folder synchronized with other members.Input or browse the path of the shared folder (C:\Shared).Click OK to confirm the changes, and close the Edit window

Editing path of the replicated folder
Editing path of the replicated folder

15. Click Next once the membership status is changed to Enabled, as shown below.

membership enabled
membership enabled

16. Review your selected settings, and click Create to finalize and create the replication group.

Creating a replication group
Creating a replication group

17. Ultimately, click Close to close the new replication group wizard, and click OK when the Replication Delay message appears, as shown below.

Closing the New Replication Group wizard
Closing the New Replication Group wizard

Testing the Replication Group

You have just achieved a milestone after successfully configuring your replication group. But how do you know the replication group works?

You will create a folder on the first server and a file on the second server to test if each server replicates the other.

1. Access the DFS namespace on your first file server in File Explorer, and create a new folder called Data.

Creating a new folder in the namespace
Creating a new folder in the namespace

2. Next, switch to your second file server, and navigate to the local Shared folder.

If the replication is successful, you will see the Data folder inside the Shared folder, as shown below.

Checking replication to the second file server
Checking replication to the second file server

3. While still on the second file server, open the Data folder, and create a new text document called text. Doing so lets you test the replication from the second file server to the first file server.

Testing replication from the second server to the first server
Testing replication from the second server to the first server

4. Finally, switch to your first file server, and open the Data folder inside the Shared folder. You will see the text file if the replication works, like in the screenshot below.

Verifying the text file has been replicated
Verifying the text file has been replicated

Conclusion

Learning new tools and functionalities can be daunting at first. But in this tutorial, you have learned how to take advantage of Windows Servers Storage to create basic file shares.

You can now confidently use Files and Storage Services, configure a DFS namespace, and a DFS replication group.

But besides having shared folders, why not learn more about Data Deduplication (Dedup) to reduce the cost of duplicated data?

Hate ads? Want to support the writer? Get many of our tutorials packaged as an ATA Guidebook.

Explore ATA Guidebooks

Looks like you're offline!