Month: June 2023

Adding an Image to a Container, BranchCache and PowerShell, Microsoft Azure, Using the Web Application Proxy

Configure Advanced File Services – Configuring Storage

Windows Server has come a long way in terms of its file and storage capabilities. I have talked quite a bit about the new features and functionality provided in Windows Server 2022. In this section, you will take a closer look at some of the advanced configuration options available in the Network File System (NFS), BranchCache, and the File Server Resource Manager (FSRM).

Configure the NFS Data Store

The NFS role service and feature set gives IT administrators the ability to integrate a Windows Server–based environment with Unix- based operating systems. Most corporate environments today consist of a mixed operating system infrastructure to some extent. Using a Windows NFS file server, you can configure file shares for use by multiple operating systems throughout the environment.

Windows Server 2022 takes those capabilities even further by enabling you to integrate with platforms such as ESXi. ESXi is vMware’s exclusive operating system–independent hypervisor. ESXi is referred to as a bare- metal operating system because once it is installed on server virtualization hardware, guest virtual machines can be installed without requiring the use of any other underlying operating system. With Windows Server 2022, you can use an NFS share efficiently as an ESXi data store to house all of your guest virtual machines.

Let’s take a look at configuring an NFS data store in Exercise 11.15.

For this exercise, you will need the following:

■     A Windows Server 2022 server

■     A vMware ESXi 5 server

EXERCISE 11.15

Configure the NFS Data Store
  1. Open Server Manager on your Windows Server 2022 machine.
  2. Launch the Add Roles And Features Wizard from the dashboard.
  3. Install the Server for NFS role on the server. A reboot is not required.
  4. Create a new folder on your server named NFS_Datastore, right- click and select Properties, and then navigate to the NFS Sharing tab.
  5. Click the Manage NFS Sharing button to open the NFS Advanced Sharing page and then check the Share This Folder box. Notice how enabling the share also enables the share’s default settings. The share settings let you configure share authentication and user access further if the need arises. The default settings will work just fine for this exercise.
  6. Click the Permissions tab to open the NFS Share Permissions page. This is where you will configure the type of access that will be allowed by machines accessing this NFS data store. By default, the NFS share permissions are set to Read- Only and do not include root access. For this exercise, you will need to change the type of access to Read- Write and check the box to allow root access.
  7. Click OK to close the NFS Share Permissions page and then click Apply and OK on the NFS Advanced Sharing page. Your new NFS share is now built, ready to be presented as an NFS data store to a VMware ESXi host. Be sure to record the network path displayed on the NFS Sharing tab of the share’s Properties page. You will need that information to perform a proper mount on the ESXi host.
  8. Switch to your ESXi host and launch the Add Storage Wizard from the Configuration tab.
  9. On the Select Storage Type page of the wizard, select the Network File System storage type; click Next to continue to the Locate Network File System page.
  10. On this page of the wizard, you will fill in the server and folder information for the NFS share that you will be using as a vSphere data store. Using the information recorded from step 7, properly fill out the server and folder fields and then name your new data store.
  11. Click Next to continue to the Ready To Complete page of the wizard. Review the information and click Finish. Once the Create NAS data store task completes on the ESXi host, you are ready to use your Windows Server 2022 shared folder as a vSphere ESXi data store.

The previous exercise shows how versatile Windows Server 2022 shares can be. The same principles can be applied to making Windows Server shares available to other Unix- based operating systems such as ESXi. Now that you have configured an NFS data store, let’s take a look at what BranchCache has to offer.

Configure BranchCache

BranchCache is a technology that was introduced with Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7. BranchCache allows an organization with slower links between offices to cache data so that downloads between offices do not have to occur each time a file is accessed.

For example, John comes into work and logs into the network. John accesses the corporate website and downloads a media file that takes four minutes to download. With BranchCache enabled, when Judy comes into work, connects to the corporate website, and tries to download the same media file, the file will be cached from the previous download and Judy will have immediate access to the file.

You can set up two types of BranchCache configurations:

Distributed Cache Mode In the distributed cache mode configuration, all Windows client machines cache the files locally on the client machines. Thus, in the previous example, after John downloaded the media file, Judy would receive the cached media file from John’s Windows 7 version or above (except for home versions).

Hosted Mode In the hosted mode configuration, the cache files are cached on a local

(within the site) Windows Server 2022 machine. So, in the previous example, after

John downloads the media file, the cached file would be placed on a Windows Server 2022 machine by default, and all other users (Judy) would download the media file from the Windows Server 2022 machine.

Distributed Cache Mode Requirements

If you decide to install BranchCache in the distributed cache mode configuration, a hosted cache server running Windows Server 2022 is not required at the branch office. To set up distributed cache mode, the client machines must be running Windows 7 or above (except for home versions).

The Windows client machines would download the data files from the content computer at the main branch office, and then these machines become the local cache servers. To set up distributed cache mode, you must install a content computer (the computer that will hold the original content) at the main office first. After the content server is installed, physical connections (WAN or VPN connections) between the sites and branch offices must be established.

Client computers running Windows 7 Enterprise or higher (from versions listed above) have BranchCache installed by default. However, you must enable and configure BranchCache and configure firewall exceptions. Complete Exercise 11.16 to configure BranchCache firewall rule exceptions.

Adding an Image to a Container, Microsoft Azure, Using the Web Application Proxy

Remote Differential Compression – Configuring Storage

One issue that can arise occurs when files are changed. There has to be some mechanism that helps files stay accurate. That’s where the Remote Differential Compression (RDC) feature comes into play. RDC is a group of APIs that programs can use to determine whether files have changed. Once RDC determines that there has been a change, RDC then helps to detect which portions of the files contain the changes. RDC has the ability to detect insertions, removals, and rearrangements of data in files. This feature becomes helpful with limited- bandwidth networks when they replicate changes.

To install the RDC feature, use Server Manager and then run the Add Features Wizard, or type the following command at an elevated command prompt: Servermanagercmd – Install Rdc

Now that I have shown you how to install DFS and how DFS works, let’s go ahead and set up DFS. In Exercise 11.14, I will show you how to configure a DFS Namespace and how to add a shared folder to DFS.

EXERCISE 11.14

Setting Up a DFS Namespace
  1. Open DFS Management (Start ➢ Administrative Tools ➢ DFS Management).
  2. Right- click Namespaces (see Figure 11.22) and choose New Namespace.

FIGURE 11.22 Adding a namespace

3. In the Server box, enter the name of the server that will host this namespace (I am using the DFS server). Click Next.

4. At the Namespace screen, enter the namespace you want (see Figure 11.23) to use and click Next.

EXERCISE 11.14 (continued)

5. On the Namespace Type screen, choose Stand- Alone or Domain Based and click Next. I am using a Stand- Alone DFS.

6. At the Review screen, click Create.

7. Click the Close button. Leave DFS open.

8. Go to Windows Explorer by pressing the Windows Key+E.

9. Create a new folder called Home and share the folder.

10. In DFS under the Actions section (right- hand side), choose New Folder (see Figure 11.24).

FIGURE 11.24 New Folder

11. When the New Folder screen appears, type the name for this folder and then click Add.

12. Add the shared Home folder and click OK.

13. After you have entered a name and put in the Home folder (see Figure 11.25), click OK.

    FIGURE 11.25 Home folder

    14. The namespace has been created and you have added a shared folder to the namespace. Add any of your other shared folders and then close DFS.

      Recent Comments

      No comments to show.
      Back To Top