Dang Hoang Viet (HarryDang) : Windows Server 2019 - LAB08 Implementing storage solutions (Part3) Implement Storage Spaces Direct

Part 3: Implement Storage Spaces Direct

What is Storage Spaces Direct?

Storage Spaces Direct is the evolution of Storage Spaces. It leverages Storage Spaces, Failover Clustering, Cluster Shared Volumes (CSVs), Software Storage Bus, and SMB 3.x to implement virtualized, highly-available shared storage by using local disks on each of the Storage Spaces Direct cluster nodes. It is suitable for hosting highly-available workloads, including virtual machines and SQL Server databases. Storage Spaces Direct supports both direct-attached storage (DAS) and JBODs. This eliminates the need for a shared storage fabric and enables you to use a mix of SATA disks to lower costs and NVMe devices to improve performance.

In this lab I'll used 4 VMs to complete this lab:

DHCHCMSRV01 : Domain Controller - config all steps in this lab
3 VMs having 4 Disk for each & all nodes are already joined to my dhv.local domain:

Node1: DHV-SRV2019-001 with IP: 192.168.208.41
Node2: DHV-SRV2019-002 with IP: 192.168.208.42
Node3: DHV-SRV2019-003 with IP: 192.168.208.43

Cluster IP: 192.168.208.250

The main tasks for this lab are:

Install the Storage Spaces Direct Failover Clustering features.
Create and validate the failover cluster.
Enable Storage Spaces Direct.
Create the storage pool, a virtual disk, and a share.
Verify that Storage Spaces Direct functions properly.

Step 1: Install the Storage Spaces Direct Failover Clustering features :

I'll use my Domain Controller to config all most step, so I will add 3 servers to Server Manager console on my Domain Controller
In Server Manager > Menu Manage > Select Add Server > Add 3 servers DHV-SRV2019-001, DHV-SRV2019-02, DHV-SRV2019-003.

Go to menu Disk , at this time you will see all disks is online and have status is UNKNOW. If not online right-click then select bring online for the disks.

Now we can install the Storage Spaces Direct Failover Clustering features. Click start menu > select Windows Power Shell ISE.
Menu File > New, then paste content of script to new console. link scrip: https://github.com/dhviet/dhv_script/blob/main/DHV_Implement_StorageSpacesDirect
Select block of command in #step 1 then click Run Selection button or press F8 to Install the Storage Spaces Direct Failover Clustering features on all nodes

Step 2: Validate the cluster (Test-Cluster):

In this step, you'll run the cluster validation tool to ensure that the server nodes are configured correctly to create a cluster using Storage Spaces Direct

Select the line in step 2 starting with Test-Cluster then press F8

I practice on VM Workstation so i can ignore test failure, its can work around. But in the real environment we should have the test successful without error & warning.

Report file located at C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Temp . You should double check & solved all errors & warning before we go to next step.

Step 3: Create Cluster

Select the line in #step 3 starting with New-Cluster, and then select F8

At Server Manager > Select Tool > Select Failover Cluster Manager > right-click con Failover Cluster Manager select connect to Cluster... > Click Browser then select DHVS2DCluster > Ok > OK (Or you can used Windows Admin Center to view new DHVS2DCluster that we've created above)

Step 4: Enable Storage Spaces Direct

select the line in #step 4 starting with Invoke-Command, and then select F8

Step 5: create a new storage pool:

In the Administrator: Windows PowerShell ISE window, select the line in #step 5 starting with Invoke-Command, and then select F8

Now you can see new storage pool that we created above on Cluster Manager Console or on WAC.

Step 6 : Create Virtual Disk:

In the Administrator: Windows PowerShell ISE window, select the line in #step 6 starting with Invoke-Command, and then select F8.

Step 7: Create File Server

Select the line in #step 7 starting with Invoke-Command, and then select F8.

You should see S2D-SOFS In the Failover Cluster Manager window, under Roles menu.

Step 8: Create File Share

Select the three lines in #step 8, starting with Invoke-Command, and then select F8
After that switch to Failover Cluster Manager window, select S2D-SOFS, and then select the Shares tab. You should see exiting of VM01

Step 9: Test Storage Spaces Direct functionality

On DC computer press windows key + R then enter \\s2d-sofs\VM01 create new folder DHV-Folder

Switch back to Windows Power Shell ISE then run the command Stop-Computer -ComputerName DHV-SRV2019-03

Switch to the Server Manager window, and then select All Servers then click fresh server button, after that you can see DHV-SRV2019-03 status manageability has changed to Target computer not accessible

Go to DHV-Folder try to create folders and files , although the server DHV-SRV2019-03 has failure(stop) but you still create folder and files
In Failover Cluster Manager console, select Disks, and then select Cluster Virtual Disk (DHV_CSV). You can see Cluster Virtual Disk (DHVCSV), the Health Status is Warning, and Operational Status is Degraded