Windows Server 2012 Management and Infrastructure number of improvements have been made to this...
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Transcript of Windows Server 2012 Management and Infrastructure number of improvements have been made to this...
Windows Server 2012 Management and Infrastructure Continuously Available File Shares Harold Wong
Continuously Available File Shares
Why should I care?
Technology Overview
Demo
Next Steps
Continuously Available File Shares What is it?
Scale-Out File Services/Shares Allow you to scale the capacity of file servers upward or downward dynamically by using Failover Clustering with…
CSV File System (CSVFS) • Appears as a single consistent
file namespace, although the underlying file system remains NTFS
• Allows direct I/O for file data access and supports sparse files
• Allows encryption through BitLocker
• Backups of CSV no longer require redirected I/O
• Supports SMB 3.0 features
SMB 3.0 • SMB Scale Out • SMB Transparent Failover • SMB Multichannel • SMB Direct • SMB Performance Counters for Server
Applications • SMB Performance Optimizations • SMB Management with Windows
PowerShell • SMB Remote File Storage
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Scale-out file servers are built on top of the Failover Clustering feature of Windows Server 2012 and the SMB 3.0 protocol enhancements. Scale-out file servers allow you to scale the capacity of your file servers upward or downward dynamically as the needs of your business change. This means you can start with a low-cost solution such as a two-node file server, and then later add additional nodes (to a maximum of four) without affecting the operation of your file server. CSV2 and scale-out file servers Version 1 of Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) was introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2 to allow multiple cluster nodes to access the same NTFS-formatted volume simultaneously. A number of improvements have been made to this feature in Windows Server 2012 to make it easier to configure and use a CSV and to provide increased security and performance. For example, a CSV now appears as a single consistent file namespace called the CSV File System (CSVFS), although the underlying file system technology being used remains NTFS. CSVFS also allows direct I/O for file data access and supports sparse files, which enhances performance when creating and copying VMs. From the security standpoint, a significant enhancement is the ability to use BitLocker Drive Encryption to encrypt both traditional failover disks and CSVs. And it’s also easier now to back up and restore a CSV with in-box support for CSV backups provided by Windows Server Backup. Backups of CSV volumes no longer require redirected I/O in version 2. The volume snapshots can be taken on the host that currently owns the volume, unlike version 1, where they were taken on the node requesting the backup. Configuring a CSV can now be performed with a single right-click in the Storage pane of Failover Cluster Manager. CSV2 also supports the SMB 3.0 features described in the previous chapter, making possible scale-out file servers that can host continuously available and scalable storage. (Continued on next hidden slide)
HIDDEN SLIDE FOR SPEAKER NOTES
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Presentation Notes
(Continued from previous slide) CSV2 and scale-out file servers Version 1 of Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) was introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2 to allow multiple cluster nodes to access the same NTFS-formatted volume simultaneously. A number of improvements have been made to this feature in Windows Server 2012 to make it easier to configure and use a CSV and to provide increased security and performance. For example, a CSV now appears as a single consistent file namespace called the CSV File System (CSVFS), although the underlying file system technology being used remains NTFS. CSVFS also allows direct I/O for file data access and supports sparse files, which enhances performance when creating and copying VMs. From the security standpoint, a significant enhancement is the ability to use BitLocker Drive Encryption to encrypt both traditional failover disks and CSVs. And it’s also easier now to back up and restore a CSV with in-box support for CSV backups provided by Windows Server Backup. Backups of CSV volumes no longer require redirected I/O in version 2. The volume snapshots can be taken on the host that currently owns the volume, unlike version 1, where they were taken on the node requesting the backup. Configuring a CSV can now be performed with a single right-click in the Storage pane of Failover Cluster Manager. CSV2 also supports the SMB 3.0 features described in the previous chapter, making possible scale-out file servers that can host continuously available and scalable storage. (Continued on next hidden slide)
HIDDEN SLIDE FOR SPEAKER NOTES
Presenter
Presentation Notes
(Continued from previous hidden slide) SMB Scale Out. Allows you to create file shares that provide simultaneous access to data files with direct I/O through all the nodes in your file server cluster. The result is improved use of network bandwidth and load balancing of the file server clients, and also optimization of performance for server applications. SMB Scale Out requires using CSV version 2, which is included in Windows Server 2012, and lets you seamlessly increase available bandwidth by adding cluster nodes. SMB transparent failover. You can now more easily perform hardware or software maintenance of nodes in a clustered file server by moving file shares between nodes without interrupting server applications that are storing data on these file shares. Also, if a hardware or software failure occurs on a cluster node, server message block 3 (SMB3) transparent failover lets file shares fail over to another cluster node without interrupting server applications that are storing data on these file shares.�SMB multichannel. This improvement allows aggregation of network bandwidth and network fault tolerance if multiple paths are available between the SMB3 client and the SMB3 server. Server applications can then take advantage of all available network bandwidth and be resilient to a network failure.�SMB direct. This improvement uses a special type of network adapter that has remote direct memory access (RDMA) capability and can function at full speed with very low latency, while using very little CPU. For server roles or applications such as Hyper-V or SQL Server, this allows a remote file server to have performance that compares to local storage.�SMB performance counters for server applications. Performance counters provide detailed information about I/O size, I/O latency, IOPS, and so on. This lets a SQL Server database administrator or Hyper-V administrator analyze the performance of the SMB3 file shares where their data is stored.�SMB performance optimizations. The SMB3 client and SMB3 server have been optimized for small, random read/write I/O, which is common in server applications such as SQL Server online transaction processing (OLTP). In addition, a large maximum transmission unit (MTU) is enabled by default, which significantly enhances performance in large sequential transfers, such as with a SQL Server data warehouse, a database backup or restore, or the copying or deployment of virtual hard disks.�� SMB2 management with Windows PowerShell. With Windows PowerShell, you can use the command line to manage SMB2 on the file server, end to end.�� SMB2 remote file storage. Hyper-V can now store virtual machine files (including configuration files, virtual hard disk files, and snapshots) in shared folders that use the SMB2 protocol. Support for storing database files in shared folders that use the SMB protocol was introduced in SQL Server 2008 R2.�
Continuously Available File Shares Why should I care?
Why should I care?
The solution… • The File Server Role has been expanded to include a new scenario where
application data (specifically Hyper-V and SQL Server) is supported on highly available SMB shares
• Provides access with almost zero downtime
The challenge…
• Prior to Windows Server 2012, highly available file services were provided by failover cluster Client Access Point (CAP) that clients could use to connect to SMB (Server Message Block) or Network File System (NFS) shares on physical disk resources
• If you deployed a shared-nothing cluster, only one node in a cluster File Server group could be online
• In the event of a failure or if the File Server group was moved to another cluster node, clients were disconnected and had to reconnect when the group became available on an online node in the cluster
Presenter
Presentation Notes
In operating systems prior to Windows Server 2012, highly available file services were provided by failover cluster Client Access Point (CAP) that clients could use to connect to SMB (Server Message Block) or Network File System (NFS) shares on physical disk resources. If you deployed a shared-nothing cluster, only one node in a cluster File Server group could be online. In the event of a failure or if the File Server group was moved to another cluster node, clients were disconnected and had to reconnect when the group became available on an online node in the cluster. In Windows Server 2012, the File Server Role has been expanded to include a new scenario where application data (specifically Hyper-V and SQL Server) is supported on highly available SMB shares in Windows Server 2012 Failover Clustering.
Continuously Available File Shares Technical Overview
Continuously Available File Servers
General Use File Server • Almost identical to Windows Server 2008 R2 • Shares can be made continuously available with the help of the SMB 3.0
protocol
Scale Out File Server • Provides continuously available file services for application data • Responds to increased demands quickly by bringing more servers online • Takes advantage of new features in Windows Server 2012 Failover Clustering
• Distributed Network Name (DNN) • Cluster Shared Volumes Version 2 • Scale Out File Server role (must be enabled on all nodes in the cluster
• Clusters of Scale Out File Servers are limited to 4 servers
Presenter
Presentation Notes
File servers in a cluster can be configured for general use (such as users storing files in shares) or to support application storage for Hyper-V and SQL. The General Use File Server in Windows Server 2012 is almost the same as it was in Windows Server 2008 R2. The only significant difference is that shares can be made continuously available with the help of the SMB 3.0 protocol. The Scale-Out File Server role is new in Windows Server 2012. With the many new technologies in Windows Server 2012, you can provide continuously available file services for application data and, at the same time, respond to increased demands quickly by bringing more servers online. Scale-Out File Servers take advantage of new features included in Windows Server 2012 Failover Clustering. The key new features that are included in Windows Server 2012, which enable the Scale Out Server Role, include: Distributed Network Name (DNN) – this is the name that client systems use to connect to cluster shared resources Scale-Out File Server resource type Cluster Shared Volumes Version 2 (CSVv2) Scale-Out File Server Role Note that Failover Clustering is required for Scale-Out File Servers and the clusters of Scale Out File Servers are limited to four servers. Also, the File Server role service must be enabled on all nodes in the cluster.
Continuously Available Scale Out File Server Architecture Cluster platform for a continuously available scale out file server
• Cluster-wide client access point • Consistent cluster-wide file server configuration • CSV cluster-wide file system
Zero client downtime failover – both planned and unplanned downtime
Single Logical Server (\\Foo\Share)
Accessing VHDs over SMB Hyper-V Cluster
File Server Cluster
Single File System Namespace
Cluster Shared Volumes
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Presentation Notes
This slide brings it all together for us… [review the elements of the architecture as they relate to the information provided on the previous slides]
Installing and Configuring the General Use File Server Role
From Failover Cluster Manager…High Availability Wizard
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Presentation Notes
Scale-out file servers can be configured by starting the High Availability Wizard from Failover Cluster Manager. Begin by selecting File Server from the list of cluster roles (formerly called clustered services and applications) When the wizard executes, you have a choice between installing the server as a File Server for general use or for scale-out application data. On the File Server Type page, select File Server for general use . Note that when you select this option, you have support for SMB and NFS shares, and you can also use File Server Resource Manager, Distributed File System Replication and other File Services role services. To finish out the wizard you will enter a valid NetBIOS name for the Client Access Point. [no screenshot]
Installing and Configuring the General File Server Role
From Failover Cluster Manager…Add File Share
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Presentation Notes
Now that the role is installed, you can create file shares on the failover cluster. Click the File Server Role in the Failover Cluster Manager and in the Actions pane, click Add File Share. The server configuration will be retrieved as a connection is made to the File and Storage Services Management interface. At that point the Select Profile page will present you with five options. For our purposes, you can choose either SMB Share - Basic or SMB Share - Advanced and click Next The wizard gives you pages for entering a Share location and name before presenting you with a page for Other advanced settings. Notice that Enable Continuous Availability is checked by default; this is to take advantage of the new SMB v3 functionality (Transparent Failover). Another new feature in SMB v3 enables you to encrypt the SMB connection without requiring the overhead of IPsec, as discussed earlier.
Installing the General Use File Server Role (cont.)
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Presentation Notes
On the Permissions page, you can configure permissions to control access When the share is configured, it will appear in the Shares tab.(both NTFS and share permissions).
Installing the Scale Out File Server Role
From Failover Cluster Manager…High Availability Wizard
Presenter
Presentation Notes
File servers in a cluster can also be configured to support application storage for Hyper-V and SQL. This is done by configuring the server with the Scale Out File Server Role. From the Failover Cluster Manager, start the High Availability Wizard. On the File Server Type page, this time we’ll select File Server for scale-out application data and click Next. Note that when you select this role, there is support only for SMB v3 shares; that is, there is no support for NFS shares. In addition, with this configuration you will not be able to use some file server role services, such as FSRM and DFS replication.
Installing the Scale Out File Server Role (Cont.)
From Failover Cluster Manager…Add File Share
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Now that the role is installed, you’re ready to create file shares for applications where you can place the application data. Perform the following steps to create shared folders: Click the File Server Role in the Failover Cluster Manager, and in the Actions pane, click on Add File Share. The server configuration will be retrieved as a connection is made to the File and Storage Services Management interface. On the Select Profile page of the New Share Wizard, choose SMB Share - Server Application for the profile and click Next. On the Share Name page, enter a Share Name and click Next. On the Other settings page, note that Enable continuous availability is selected by default. Click Next. On the Permissions page, you can configure permissions to control access (both NTFS and share permissions) as needed. Click Next. Review the information on the Confirmation screen and click Create. The Shares tab reflects all the shares that are configured on the CSV volumes. The Distributed Network Name resource, which is part of the Scale-Out File Server role, has no dependencies on IP addresses; that means you don’t have to configure anything in advance for this to work. The reason for this is that the resource registers the node IP addresses for each node in the cluster in DNS. These IP addresses can be static IP addresses or they can be managed by DHCP. The IP address of each of the nodes in the cluster is recorded in DNS and is mapped to the Distributed Network Name. Clients then receive up to six addresses from the DNS server and DNS round robin is used to distribute the load
Continuously Available File Shares DEMO
Windows Server 2012 Product Download http://aka.ms/hwws2012
System Center 2012 Evaluation Download http://aka.ms/hwsc2012
High-Performance, Continuously Available File Share Storage for Server Applications Technical Preview http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831399.aspx
Microsoft Virtual Academy http://aka.ms/virtualacademy
Windows Server 2012 Virtual Labs http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/hh968267.aspx
