Configure Storage Tiers on Windows Server 2012 R2 by PowerShell

Administrators can configure Storage Tiers by GUI in Windows Server 2012 R2. However, administrators cannot configure the write-back cache size through GUI. Plus, administrators may want to test it in a test environment. For some reasons, administrators should perform PowerShell to configure Storage Tiers.

Lab environment

• 1 SSD with 100GB and 2 HDD with 500GB are installed in HV01

Goal

• Create Storage Tier with a simple virtual hard disk in HV01 by PowerShell

Lab

1. On HV01, log in as administrator.

2. Launch "PowerShell" as administrator.

3. Perform "Get-PhysicalDisk -CanPool $True" to check the disks which can be added to a storage pool.

4. Perform "New-StoragePool -FriendlyName DiskPool-01 -StorageSubSystemFriendlyName (Get-StorageSubSystem).FriendlyName -PhysicalDisks (Get-PhysicalDisk -CanPool $True)" to create a new storage pool named DiskPool-01.

5. Perform "Get-StoragePool DiskPool-01 | Get-PhysicalDisk | Select FriendlyName,MediaType" to verify the media type of disks.

6. Perform "Get-StoragePool DiskPool-01 | New-StorageTier -FriendlyName SSDTier -MediaType SSD" to create SSD Tier for "DiskPool-01" storage pool.

7. Perform "Get-StoragePool DiskPool-01 | New-StorageTier -FriendlyName HDDTier -MediaType HDD".

To check the storage tier supported size for "Simple" or "Mirror" types, administrators can perform "Get-StorageTierSupportSize -FinedlyName *SSD* -ResiliencySettingName <Type>".

8. Perform "$SSD = Get-StorageTier -FriendlyName SSDTier" to store the SSD tier to a variable.

9. Perform "$HDD = Get-StorageTier -FriendlyName HDDTier" to store the HDD tier to a variable.

10. Perform "Get-StoragePool DiskPool-01 | New-VirtualDisk -FriendlyName vDisk01 -ResiliencySettingName Simple -StorageTiers $SSD, $HDD -StorageTierSizes 20GB, 80GB -WriteCacheSize 5GB" to create a new virtual disk which is named vDisk01 and then the size of vDisk01 is 100GB. We also assign 5GB write-back cache for this virtual disk.

Remark: "Write-back cache" option only can by applied by PowerShell.

11. Perform "Initialize-Disk -VirtualDisk (Get-VirtualDisk -FriendlyName vDisk01) -PartitionStyle GPT" to initialize the virtual hard disk.

12. Perform "New-Partition -DiskNumber 8 -UseMaximumSize -DriveLetter D" to create a new partition.

13. Perform "Format-Volume -DriveLetter D -FileSystem NTFS -Confirm:$false".

Using PowerShell, administrators can assign files to SSD tier by performing the following cmdlets.

1. Perform "Get-VirtualDisk -FriendlyName vDisk01 | Get-StorageTier" to check the  existing Storage Tier name of the virtual hard disk.

2. Perform "Set-FileStorageTier -FilePath <File Path> -DesiredStorageTierFriendlyName vDisk01_SSDTier" to assign the file to SSD Tier.

3. Perform "Get-FileStorageTier -VolumeDriveLetter <Drive letter name>" to verify the file in which tier.

Testing in a virtual machine environment

You can also follow the article, Why R2? Step-by-Step: Automated Tiered Storage with Windows Server Server 2012 R2, which was written by Keith Mayer to test Storage Tiers in a virtual machine environment.

For more information:

Step-by-step for Storage Spaces Tiering in Windows Server 2012 R2 (Recommended)

Configure storage pool by PowerShell in Windows Server 2012

Get-StorageTier

Set-FileStorageTier

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

Configuring Storage Tiers on Windows Server 2012 R2 by GUI

Microsoft added a new function, storage tiers, in existing storage pool function in Windows Server 2012 R2.

With Storage tiers, you can create virtual disks that are comprised of two tiers of storage:

• Solid-state drive tier for frequently accessed data
• Hard disk drive tier for less-frequently accessed data

Storage Spaces transparently moves data at a subfile level between the two tiers, based on how frequently data is accessed.

What value does this change add?

Storage tiers combine the best attributes of solid-state drives and hard disk drives. They increase the performance of the mist used ("hot") data by moving it to solid-state drives, without sacrificing the ability to store large quantities of data on inexpensive hard disks.

Quote from What's New in Storage Spaces in Windows Server 2012 R2

Lab environment

• 1 SSD with 100GB and 2 HDD with 500GB are installed in HV01

Goal

• Create Storage Tier with a simple virtual hard disk in HV01 by GUI

Lab
1. On HV01, log in as administrator.
2. Launch "Server Manager".
3. On "Server Manager" window, click "File ans Storage Services".

4. Select "Storage Pools".

5. Next to "TASKS" of "STORAGE POOLS", click "New Storage Pool".

6. On "Before You Begin" window, click "Next".
7. On "Storage Poo Name" window, next to "Name", enter "DiskPool-01".

8. Click "Next".
9. On "Physical Disks", check all Physical Disks.

10. Click "Next".
11. On "Confirmation" window, click "Create".

12. On "Results" window, click "Close".
13. On "Server Manager", next to "VIRTUAL DISKS", click "To create a virtual disk, start the New Virtual Disk Wizard".

14. On "Before You Begin" window, click "Next".
15. On "Storage Pool" window, select "DiskPool-01", click "Next".

16. On "Virtual Disk Name" window, next to "Name", enter "vDisk01".
17. Check "Create storage tiers on this virtual disk".

18. Click "Next".
19. On "Storage Layout" window, select "Simple", click "Next".

Remark: Storage Tiers support "Two-way mirror" and "Three-way mirror". However, administrators have to add additional disks in servers.

20. On "Provisioning" window, click "Next".

21. On "Size" window, select "Maximum size" for "Faster Tier (SSD)" and "Standard Tier (HDD)".

22. Click "Next".
23. On "Confirmation" window, click "Create".

24. On "Results" window, leave default setting, click "Close"

25. On "Before You Begin" window, click "Next".
26. On "Server and Disk" window, select "Disk 8", click "Next".

27. On "Size" window, leave default volume size, click "Next".

28. On "Drive Letter or Folder' window, leave default drive letter, click "Next".

29. On "File System Settings" window, leave default settings, click "Next".

30. On "Confirmation" window, click "Create".

31. On "Results" window, click "Close".

It's easy for administrators to configure Storage Tiers through GUI in Windows Server 2012 R2. However, some settings like "Write-back cahe" and assign files to SSD tier must be performed by PowerShell.

Restore settings
1. On "Disks" of "Server Manager", next to "DISKS", select "vDisk01".
2. Next to "VOLUMES", right-click "D:", select "Delete Volume".

3. On "Delete Volume" window, click "Yes".

4. Go to "Storage Pools" of "Server Manager".
5. Next to "VIRTUAL DISKS", right-click "vDisk01", select "Delete Virtual Disk".

6. On "Delete Virtual Disk" window, click "Yes".

7. Next to "STORAGE POOLS", right-click "DiskPool-01", select "Delete Storage Pool".

When configuration completed, the storage tires related schedule jobs will change the status to "Ready".

For more information:
What's New in Storage Spaces in Windows Server 2012 R2

Storage Spaces: How to configure Storage Tiers with Windows Server 2012 R2

What's New in Defrag for Windows Server 2012/2012R2

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!