Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Getting Started Guide

Microsoft Corporation

Published: August 2010

AbstractWindows Storage Server 2008 R2 is designed for use with network-attached storage devices. This guide provides help for end users who want to set up or configure their storage appliance.

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Copyright informationThis document is provided “as-is”. Information and views expressed in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, may change without notice. You bear the risk of using it.

This document does not provide you with any legal rights to any intellectual property in any Microsoft product. You may copy and use this document for your internal, reference purposes.

© 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Microsoft, Active Directory, Hyper-V, Windows, Windows Server, and Windows Vista are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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ContentsWindows Storage Server 2008 R2 Getting Started Guide 5

Windows Storage Server   2008   R2 components 5In this guide 6

Supported Features 6Common supported features 6Edition-specific supported features 7

Initial Configuration Tasks 7Initial Configuration Tasks window 8Two-node failover cluster tasks 8Running the Cluster Name and Domain Join Wizard 8Running the Cluster Validation and Setup Wizard 9

Network Configuration 10Failover clustering considerations 10Automatic configuration 10Manual configuration 10Setting an IP address 11

Syntax 11Parameters 11

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Remarks 12Examples 12

Setting the DNS server address 12Syntax 12Parameters 12Examples 13

Storage Provisioning and Access 13Disk volume considerations 13Using the Share and Storage Management snap-in 14Using Microsoft Services for Network File System 14

Single Instance Storage (SIS) 15Groveler service 15Single Instance Storage Filter 15Backup and recovery using SIS 16

Managing SIS on a Volume 16Using Sisadmin.exe 17Additional references 18

Uninstalling SIS from a Server 18

Sisadmin.exe Commands 19Sisadmin.exe examples 19

Remote Server Management 20Using Remote Desktop Connection 20Using Remote Desktop Protocol 21

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Setting up the RDP website 21Configuring Internet Explorer for the RDP website 22Using RemoteApp 23Using Windows PowerShell Remoting 23

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Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Getting Started GuideWindows® Storage Server 2008 R2 is a Windows Server® 2008 R2 operating system, but it is specifically optimized for use with network-attached storage devices. A computer that runs Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 is referred to as a storage appliance. Storage appliances that have Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 preinstalled and partially preconfigured are available from various OEMs.

Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 provides enhancements in file share and storage management scenarios, in addition to integrating storage appliance management components and functionality. In addition, it provides a user interface (called Initial Configuration Tasks) to help you with the initial server configuration, unified storage appliance management, simplified set up and management of storage and shared folders, and support for Microsoft® iSCSI Software Target.

Note

Microsoft iSCSI Software Target 3.3 is an optional package that is available for use with Windows Storage Server 2008 R2. It provides block storage services, file-level services, and support for failover clusters. If it is not preinstalled on your storage appliance, contact your storage appliance manufacturer for information about acquiring it.

Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 is available in the following editions:

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Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Workgroup

Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Standard

Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Enterprise

Note

The Enterprise Edition supports failover clustering. Discussion within this document regarding failover clustering features or support is referring to a storage appliance that is running Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition with the Failover Clustering feature installed.

Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 components Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 includes the following features and components:

Initial Configuration Tasks (ICT)   Facilitates and simplifies the completion of various configuration tasks that are needed after the installation of Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 by your storage appliance vendor. It is an XML-based user interface feature.

Cluster Name and Domain Join Wizard   Simplifies the task of preparing a failover cluster by joining dual storage appliances (called the first and second nodes) to an Active Directory® domain.

Cluster Validation and Setup Wizard   Performs a series of hardware validation tests that ensure your storage appliances and associated storage are configured properly to support failover clustering, and then it creates the failover cluster. This wizard will also create a high availability (HA) file server.

Single Instance Storage (SIS)   Reduces the amount of space that is used to store data on a volume. SIS replaces duplicate files with logical links that point to a single copy of the file in the SIS Common Store, which is a hidden folder that is located in the root directory of the volume.

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Windows PowerShell™ cmdlets   Enable task automation.

Important

Also reference the documentation that is supplied by your storage appliance manufacturer. Such documentation will supplement this guide for performing tasks and procedures that are specific to your storage-appliance hardware configuration.

In this guide Supported Features

Initial Configuration Tasks

Network Configuration

Storage Provisioning and Access

Single Instance Storage (SIS)

Remote Server Management

Supported FeaturesThis topic explains the technology features that are supported in Windows Storage Server 2008 R2.

Common supported featuresThe following features are supported in all three editions of Windows Storage Server 2008 R2:

iSCSI Software Target 3.3

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Print and Document Services

Windows Backup

Windows Search

DHCP Server

Network File System (NFS)

Distributed File System Replication (DFSR)

File Server Resource Manager (FRSM)

Edition-specific supported featuresThe following table shows features and metrics that are supported by the specific editions of Windows Storage Server 2008 R2.

Description Workgroup Edition Standard Edition Enterprise Edition

Random Access Memory (RAM)

32 GB 32 GB 2 TB

Network adapters 2 Unlimited Unlimited

Disks (number/interfaces/RAID type)

6/Any/Any Any/Any/Any Any/Any/Any

Users 25 Unlimited Unlimited

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Server Message Block (SMB) connections

50 Unlimited Unlimited

Single Instance Storage (SIS) No Yes Yes

Failover clustering No No Yes

DNS and WINS No Yes Yes

RODC No Yes Yes

Virtualization (Hyper-V) No Yes Yes

Hosted cache No No Yes

Initial Configuration TasksThe storage appliance from your vendor will have Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 preinstalled. But before you deploy the new server in your enterprise, some configuration may be required for networking, storage provisioning and other tasks. You complete these tasks from the Initial Configuration Tasks (ICT) window, which opens after you log on to the Windows operating system.

Initial Configuration Tasks windowTwo versions of the ICT window are available for Windows Storage Server 2008 R2. These correspond to prepackaged storage appliance configurations. One ICT window lists the tasks for

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configuring a standalone storage appliance. The other ICT window lists the tasks for setting up and configuring a two-node failover storage cluster.

The standalone ICT window is displayed by default on all editions of Windows Storage Server 2008 R2. The two-node cluster ICT window is displayed only in Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition and if the Failover Clustering feature is installed. The two-node cluster window supports configuring a failover cluster from a single console by using Windows Server 2008 R2 RemoteApp and Windows PowerShell remoting capabilities.

Warning

The Initial Configuration Tasks window is displayed upon each logon unless you select the Do not show this window at the next logon check box.

In the Initial Configuration Tasks window, you can perform the following tasks. Some of these tasks, such as activating Windows, may have been completed by your storage appliance vendor.

Activate the Windows operating system

Set the date and time zone of the server

Specify language and regional settings

Specify the computer (or failover cluster) name and domain name

Configure networking and view connection status

Enable automatic updating and feedback about the Windows operating system

Download and install Windows updates

Enable Windows Error Reporting

Configure a disk storage array

Provision a disk volume

Create and deploy a failover cluster

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Two-node failover cluster tasksFor storage appliances to be used in a two-node failover cluster, the following wizards simplify the tasks of joining a domain and creating the failover cluster:

The Cluster Name and Domain Join Wizard

The Cluster Validation and Setup Wizard

Running the Cluster Name and Domain Join WizardThe Cluster Name and Domain Join Wizard simplifies the task of joining dual storage appliances to an Active Directory domain. Following are the steps that the wizard guides you through:

1. Specify the domain name that the cluster nodes will join

2. Specify a domain user account (username and password)

3. Specify the cluster management name

4. Edit the first node and second node names as needed

5. Specify other domain accounts to add to the local Administrators group

6. Change the local Administrator password (the new password will be applied to each node)

7. Review settings and complete the wizard to join the domain

8. Prompt you to restart both cluster nodes

Running the Cluster Validation and Setup WizardThe Cluster Validation and Setup Wizard performs a series of hardware validation tests that ensure your storage appliances and associated storage array are configured properly to support

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failover clustering. For example, the wizard verifies that at least one 50 MB (minimum) NTFS disk is available for quorum. The wizard also checks to see that an additional 50 MB (minimum) disk is available for file sharing.

Note

Validation testing can take several minutes to complete.

After all the validation tests pass, the wizard creates the failover cluster. It also creates a high availability (HA) file server. The wizard is run on the first node storage appliance only. However, the wizard takes similar steps and makes configuration changes to the second node also.

The wizard goes through the following steps:

1. Generates a cluster management name—you can revise this name as needed

2. Allocates IP address configurations for each cluster node network interface

Note

If a static IP address is detected, the wizard attempts to configure it by checking if the IP address is valid within the network and ensuring that no conflicts occur for DNS. Static IP addresses that cannot be automatically configured will be displayed in the wizard for you to configure manually.

3. Generates a high availability file server name—you can revise this name as needed, or you have the option to not create a file server at this time

4. Configures any IP addresses detected for the file server

Note

If a static IP address is detected, the wizard attempts to configure it by checking if the IP address is valid within the network and ensuring that no conflicts occur for DNS.

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Static IP addresses that cannot be automatically configured will be displayed in the wizard for you to configure manually.

5. Allows you to review settings

6. Creates the failover cluster (and a high availability file server, if applicable)

Network ConfigurationTypical storage network configurations include using two, four, or six network adapters. All storage network configurations must include one dedicated network for heartbeat and one or more networks for file, high availability (HA) file server, or iSCSI access. The heartbeat network can be implemented by using a crossover cable that is supplied by your storage appliance vendor.

Important

Some network configurations may be specific to your storage appliance hardware. Consult the documentation that is provided by your storage appliance vendor for specific information as applicable.

Failover clustering considerationsWhen you configure storage appliances for failover clustering, we recommend that you have one separate network interface for cluster communications and one or more network interfaces for public communications.

You can use NIC teaming, but only for public network interfaces. You cannot use NIC teaming with Microsoft iSCSI Software Target.

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When you configure failover clustering for Microsoft iSCSI Software Target, you can take advantage of multiple public network interfaces by using Microsoft Multipath I/O (MPIO) to provide load balancing and path redundancy. For example, use MPIO with storage appliances that are connected to shared storage arrays by using a dual-path configuration such as attached SCSI storage, Fibre Channel, or iSCSI interconnects.

Automatic configurationNetwork settings are automatically configured in Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 if your storage appliances use DHCP to assign IP addresses.

Manual configurationNote

The following steps are required only in circumstances where you are configuring networking for a remote storage appliance. These steps are unnecessary if you can log on to the storage appliance directly or if your storage appliances are assigned IP addresses.

You can use netsh commands to remotely configure addresses, default gateways, DNS servers, and Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) servers for a network interface on a storage appliance. After this initial configuration, you can connect remotely to the server and complete other configuration and management tasks.

You can run netsh commands at the command prompt in Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 or for the netsh interface IP context. In Windows Storage Server 2008 R2, you must type netsh interface ip before you type the commands and parameters that are shown in the following section.

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Setting an IP addressThe following syntax configures an IP address and a default gateway on a specified interface.

Syntaxnetsh interface ip set address [name=]InterfaceName [source=]{dhcp | static [addr=]IPAddress[mask=]SubnetMask [gateway=]{none | DefaultGateway [[gwmetric=]GatewayMetric]}}

Parameters[ name =] InterfaceName

Required. Specifies the name of the interface for which you want to configure address and gateway information. The InterfaceName parameter must match the name of the interface as specified in Network Connections. If InterfaceName contains spaces, use quotation marks around the text (for example, "Interface Name").

[ source=]{ dhcp| static[ addr=] IPAddress[ mask=] SubnetMask[ gateway=]{ none| DefaultGateway[[ gwmetric=] GatewayMetric]}}

Required. Specifies whether the IP address to configure originates from a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server or is static. If the address is static, IPAddress specifies the address to configure, and SubnetMask specifies the subnet mask for the IP address being configured. If the address is static, you must also specify whether you want to leave the current default gateway (if any) in place or configure one for the address. If you configure a default gateway, DefaultGateway specifies the IP address of the default gateway to be configured, and GatewayMetric specifies the metric for the default gateway to be configured.

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/?

Displays Help at the command prompt.

Remarks You can use this command to switch an interface between DHCP configuration and static

configuration. If the interface is configured statically, the DNS and WINS server addresses for this interface must also be statically configured.

Omitting the DefaultGateway parameter does not clear the gateway configuration, but it preserves any previous configuration.

Examplesnetsh interface ip set address name=”Storage Mgmt” source=static addr=11.11.11.11 mask=255.0.0.0

netsh interface ip set address name="Storage Mgmt” gateway=11.11.11.12 gwmetic=0

For more information about the netsh command and how to use it, see Scripting Tools (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=137195).

Setting the DNS server addressThe following syntax configures a DNS server address for a specified interface.

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Syntaxset dns [name=]InterfaceName [source=]{dhcp | static } [addr=]{IP Address | none} [register=]{none | primary | both}

Parameters[ name=] InterfaceName

Required. Specifies the name of the interface for which you want to set DNS information. The InterfaceName parameter must match the name of the interface as specified in Network Connections. If InterfaceName contains spaces, use quotation marks around the text (for example, "Interface Name").

[ source=]{ dhcp| static }

Required. Specifies whether the IP address of the DNS server is configured by DHCP or is static.

Note

If the interface is already statically configured, the static parameter replaces the existing list of DNS server addresses with the list specified in the command.

[ addr=]{ IP Address| none }

If the IP address is static, IP Address specifies the IP address of the DNS server to configure, and none specifies that the DNS configuration should be removed.

The [addr] option for configuring a static list of DNS server IP addresses for the specified interface is available only if the [source] is static.

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[ register=]{ none| primary| both }

None specifies whether to disable DNS dynamic update protocol. Primary registers the computer name under the primary DNS suffix only. Both registers the computer name under both the primary DNS suffix as well as under the connection-specific suffix.

/?

Displays Help at the command prompt.

Examplesset dns name="Storage Mgmt" source=dhcp

set dns "Storage Mgmt" static 10.0.0.1 primary

Storage Provisioning and AccessThis section discusses disk storage provisioning and access.

Disk volume considerationsThe goal of configuring volumes for a storage appliance is to achieve a balance of performance and reliability given your hardware setup. We recommend that you store user data and system data on separate fault-tolerant volumes.

In addition, the index files that are used for the Windows Search feature should be moved to data volumes.

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For a two-node failover cluster, a minimum of two disks (LUNs) are provisioned. One LUN is provisioned for the disk witness, and one (or more) LUNs are provisioned to support high availability (HA) file server instances. The LUNs must be brought online, initialized, assigned a drive letter, and formatted by using the Disk Management MMC snap-in or by using Windows PowerShell scripts.

Note

For failover clusters, LUNs must be available before running the Cluster Validation and Setup Wizard in the Deploy the Cluster task group.

Important

Cluster storage provisioning tasks are specific to your storage appliances. Consult the documentation that is provided by your storage appliance vendor for specific information to perform these tasks.

Using the Share and Storage Management snap-inThe Share and Storage Management snap-in makes it possible to complete most of the administrative tasks that are required to create, provision, and manage volumes and shared folders. The Share and Storage Management snap-in provides access to the following:

The Provision Storage Wizard  Creates and configures storage for file sharing and block sharing, including creating LUNs on storage subsystems and creating and formatting volumes on LUNs or server disks.

Note

You must install a Virtual Disk Service (VDS) hardware provider that is appropriate for your storage appliance to provision storage on an iSCSI target. If you have

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Microsoft iSCSI Software Target running on a Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 storage appliance, install the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target VDS Hardware Provider on any client computer.

The Provision a Shared Folder Wizard   Creates and configures shared folders that can be accessed by using the server message block (SMB) or NFS protocol.

Access to Single Instance Storage (SIS)   Can be enabled or disabled for each volume that is displayed in the Share and Storage Management snap-in. SIS recovers disk space by reducing the amount of redundant data that is stored on a volume. It identifies identical files, stores a single copy of the file in the SIS Common Store, and replaces the files with pointers to the file in the SIS Common Store. For more information on SIS, see Single Instance Storage (SIS).

Additionally, you can use the Shared Folder Management, Storage Manager for SANs, and Disk Management snap-ins to configure disk quotas, configure file shares, and enable indexing.

Using Microsoft Services for Network File SystemServices for Network File System (NFS) is a feature of Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 that provides a file-sharing solution for enterprises that run Windows and UNIX operating systemst. By using Services for NFS, you can configure storage services so that users can store and access files on the storage appliance that is running Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 and transfer files between the storage appliance and UNIX computers by using the NFS protocol.

You can use the Services for NFS Configuration Guide to complete the initial configuration of Services for NFS, which includes an Identity Mapping Setup Wizard. After you complete the initial configuration, you can use the Services for NFS console for ongoing maintenance and administration.

If you are using Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 in an environment that does not include Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), you can install Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) on

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your storage appliance to provide user name mapping for NFS. Services for NFS can use any RFC 2307 compliant Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) service to provide user name mapping services.

Additional references

For more information about Services for NFS, see Services for NFS Step - by - Step Guide (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=137199).

For information about using the Services for Network File System with User Name Mapping, see Specify How Server for NFS Obtains Windows User and Group Information (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=142585).

For more information about ADAM, see Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Application Mode (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=142890).

Single Instance Storage (SIS)The Single Instance Storage (SIS) feature in Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 reduces the amount of disk space that is needed to store data on a volume. SIS does this by replacing duplicate files with logical links that point to a single copy of the file in the SIS Common Store, which is a hidden folder located in the root directory of the volume.

Note

You can enable SIS on a maximum of 128 volumes per computer. SIS cannot act upon any files that are referenced through junction points, and it cannot be used with any file system except the NTFS file system. SIS will not process files that are 32 kilobytes or less in size.

SIS consists of the following that are used for maintaining a database of file signatures:

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Groveler service

Single Instance Storage Filter

Groveler serviceThe Groveler service scans the hard-disk volumes on a server for duplicate copies of files. If the service locates duplicate copies of files, the information about the duplicates is sent to the Single Instance Storage Filter. The Groveler service runs as a user-level service.

Single Instance Storage FilterThe Single Instance Storage Filter is a file system filter service that manages duplicate copies of files on hard-disk volumes. When notified by the Groveler service of duplicate copies of files, Single Instance Storage Filter copies one instance of a duplicate file into a central folder. The duplicate is then replaced by a link (a reparse point) to the central copy. The link file contains information about the original file, such as its current location, size, and attributes. The Single Instance Storage Filter runs in kernel mode.

The Single Instance Storage Filter service cannot be stopped. If this service is disabled, the linked files are not accessible. If the central folder is deleted, the linked files can become permanently inaccessible. If you stop the Groveler service, the files cannot be automatically linked, but the existing linked files can still be accessible.

Backup and recovery using SISIf you need to access data that is stored on an SIS volume (which may be required for backup and recovery operations), you must have Single Instance Storage Filter installed on your computer.

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Backup and recovery using SIS has the following requirements:

The backup software used must support SIS-enabled volumes.

The SIS volume, SIS Common Store folder, and reparse points to the files must be restored to a Windows 2000 NTFS version 5.0 or later file system or partition that supports reparse points or junction points.

The Single Instance Storage Filter must be installed and enabled to access the data in the SIS volume.

The backup program must be capable and configured to backup and restore the reparse points or junction points (links) to the files, and the SIS volume and the SIS Common Store folder must be selected.

Managing SIS on a VolumeSingle Instance Storage (SIS) can be enabled or disabled on individual volumes on the storage appliance by using the Share and Storage Management snap-in or by using the Sisadmin.exe utility. When you disable SIS on a volume that is using SIS, the Groveler service is stopped. SIS can be also paused or disabled temporarily by pausing the Groveler service or changing its priority by using the Sisadmin.exe utility.

After the Groveler service has been paused on a volume, SIS can be uninstalled from that volume by using the Sisadmin.exe utility. When SIS is uninstalled from a volume, the files are unlinked from the SIS Common Store and restored to their original locations.

Note

Disabling SIS on a volume will fail if there is not sufficient disk space on the volume to store each duplicate file and the SIS Common Store.

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Local Administrators permissions are required to complete the following procedures.

To enable SIS on a volume

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Share and Storage Management.

2. In Share and Storage Management, on the Volumes tab, click the volume for which you want to enable SIS.

3. In the Actions pane, click Properties.

4. On the Advanced tab, select the Enable SIS on this volume check box, and then click OK.

To disable SIS on a volume

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Share and Storage Management.

2. In Share and Storage Management, on the Volumes tab, click the volume for which you want to disable SIS.

3. In the Actions pane, click Properties.

4. On the Advanced tab, clear the Enable SIS on this volume check box, and then click OK.

Using Sisadmin.exeEvery time you enable or disable SIS on a volume, the Groveler service restarts. To avoid performance issues when enabling or disabling SIS on a large number of volumes, use the

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Sisadmin.exe utility to specify them all in a single command. Grouping all the volumes with a single command requires only a single restart of the Groveler service.

Local Administrators permissions are required to complete the following procedures.

To install SIS on a volume by using Sisadmin.exe

1. To open an elevated command prompt, click Start, right click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.

2. Type the command sisadmin.exe /i <volumename>, where <volumename> is the letter name of the volume where SIS is to be installed.

To uninstall SIS from a volume by using Sisadmin.exe

1. To open an elevated command prompt, click Start, right click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.

2. Type the command sisadmin.exe /u <volumename>, where <volumename> is the letter name of the volume from which SIS is to be removed.

To enable SIS on a volume by using Sisadmin.exe

1. To open an elevated command prompt, click Start, right click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.

2. Type the command sisadmin.exe /e <volumename>, where <volumename> is the letter name of the volume where SIS is to be enabled. The Groveler service will be enabled and started for the volume.

To disable SIS on a volume by using Sisadmin.exe

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1. To open an elevated command prompt, click Start, right click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.

2. Type the command sisadmin.exe /d <volumename>, where <volumename> is the letter name of the volume where SIS is to be disabled. The Groveler service will be stopped and disabled for the volume.

Additional referencesSingle - Instance Store and SIS Backup (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=137200)

Uninstalling SIS from a ServerBy default, Single Instance Storage (SIS) is installed on Windows Storage Server 2008 R2, but is not enabled on any volumes. If left in this state, it has no impact on system performance, and you can keep it installed. If you decide uninstall SIS from your storage appliance, you must first disable SIS on each volume where it has been applied. Failure to do so may result in lost data.

Caution

If you have already enabled SIS on one or more volumes of the storage appliance and then uninstall SIS from the storage appliance, you must use the SysAdmin.exe command-line tool to remove all reparse points and restore all copies of the affected files on all SIS-enabled volumes before you can uninstall SIS.

To uninstall SIS from the storage appliance

1. On the storage appliance, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click

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Server Manager.

2. In the console tree, expand Roles, click File Services, and then click Remove Role Services.

3. On the Select Role Services page, clear the Single Instance Storage check box, click Next, and then click Remove.

4. When prompted to restart the server, click Yes.

5. When the computer restarts, confirm that the message on the Removal Results page indicates that Single Instance Storage role service was removed, and then click Close. Afterwards, the check box to enable SIS no longer appears on the Properties page for that volume.

Sisadmin.exe CommandsAlthough the Share and Storage Management snap-in can be used to enable or disable SIS on a volume, the primary administrative tool used for managing SIS is the Sisadmin.exe command-line utility. The syntax for Sisadmin.exe is:

sisadmin.exe [/m <server>] [command]

Valid command options for Sisadmin.exe include:

/m <server> - Shifts the focus of the command line to a remote server. If the /m option is not specified, the command line will be applied to the local server. <server> can be expressed as a host name, fully qualified domain name (FQDN), or an IP address.

/? or /h –Displays a list of the valid command options for Sisadmin.exe.

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/I <volumes> - Installs SIS for the designated volumes. If SIS is already enabled on the designated volumes this command preserves the current Enabled/Disabled status.

/f <volumes> - Sets the Groveler service to run as a foreground priority for the designated volumes.

/b <volumes> - Sets the Groveler service to run as a background priority for the designated volumes, which is the default setting for the service.

/r <volumes> - Initiates a full scan of the designated volumes.

/e <volumes> - Enables and starts the Groveler service on the designated volumes.

/d <volumes> - Stops and then disables the Groveler service on the designated volumes.

/v <volumes> - Displays statistics for the specified SIS-enabled volumes.

/l <volumes> - Displays a list of SIS-controlled files on the designated volumes.

/s <files> - Displays information about designated SIS-controlled files. <files> is expressed as a space delimited list of file names, including path.

/u <volumes> - Stops the Groveler service on the volume, restores all file copies, and removes reparse points. This option should always be used on each SIS-enabled volume prior to removing SIS from the server.

Note

For each command option that uses <volumes> as a parameter, <volumes> represents a space delimited list of volume names (for example: d: e: f: g:).

Sisadmin.exe examples To temporarily increase performance levels of the Groveler service on the E: and F: volumes

of a server, you could use the following command:

sisadmin.exe /f E: F:

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To disable the Groveler service on the E: volume of a server without removing SIS from the volume, you could use the following command:

sisadmin.exe /d E:

To stop the Groveler service on the volume, restore all file copies, and remove reparse points, or to remove SIS entirely from the F: volume of a remote server by using the IP address of the server, you could use the following command:

sisadmin.exe /m 192.168.1.50 /u F:

Remote Server ManagementYou can remotely manage a storage appliance running Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 from virtually any computer on your network. Use any of the tools listed below to remotely connect to, log on, and administer your storage appliances:

Remote Desktop Connection (RDC)

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) (browser-based)

RemoteApp

Windows PowerShell remoting

Note

Local Administrators permissions are required to remotely manage the storage appliance.

Using Remote Desktop Connection

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You can remotely manage a storage appliance running Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 from a computer running the Windows operating system by using Remote Desktop Connection (formerly known as Terminal Services).

To use Remote Desktop Connection

1. Click Start and then click Run. In the Run dialog box, type MSTSC and then click OK. If you are performing this step from Windows Vista®, type MSTSC in the Search box, and then under Programs, click mstsc.exe.

2. In the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, in Computer, type the computer name or IP address of the storage appliance.

3. In User name, type the domain user account credentials, and then click Options.

4. In Connection Settings, click Save As.

5. In the Save As dialog box, in File name, type the name you would like to use for the connection, and leave the extension as .rdp.

6. Click Save in, select Desktop, and then click Save.

For more information about how to configure Remote Desktop Connection, click Help in the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box.

For more information, see Remote Desktop Connection (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=137197), which is also available in Windows Server 2008 R2 Help.

Using Remote Desktop ProtocolYou can remotely manage a storage appliance running Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 from a client computer Web browser by using a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) website. However, you must create and configure the RDP website first.

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For additional security, we recommend that you obtain a server certificate and that you use the HTTPS protocol to connect to a storage appliance running Windows Storage Server 2008 R2.

Setting up the RDP websiteYou must enable IIS on the storage appliance and configure it to support the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).

To set up the RDP website, complete the following tasks:

1. Install Internet Information Services (IIS).

2. Configure the site certificate.

3. Configure authentication.

4. Create the RDP website.

To install IIS

1. On the storage appliance, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.

2. In Server Manager, click Roles, click Add Roles, and then click Next.

3. Under Roles, click Web Server (IIS), and then click Next.

4. In the Add Roles Wizard, click Next.

5. Under Role Services, scroll down to Security. Select the Basic Authentication and Windows Authentication check boxes.

6. Scroll down to Management Tools, select IIS Management Scripts and Tools, and then click Next.

7. Click Install. After the features are installed, click Close.

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To create the RDP website

1. On the storage appliance, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

2. Under Connections, click the name of the storage appliance.

3. If you plan to create a secure RDP website that uses HTTPS, you must create a certificate. Double-click Server Certificates. Under Actions, click Create Self-Signed Certificate. Type a name for the certificate (for example, WebRDP), and then click OK.

4. Under Connections, click the storage server name. Double-click Authentication. Enable each type of authentication that you plan to use.

5. Under Connections, expand the storage server node, and click Sites.

6. Click the Default Web Site, and then under Actions, click Remove. When prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.

7. Under Actions, click Add Web Site.

8. The following information for a normal site or a secured site will be the same except that the HTTPS site will be secured with the certificate:

Site name: The name for the site as it will appear in the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager console.

Physical path: Set the Web RDP folder to C:\Windows\WebRDP.

Binding: For an unsecured site, under Type, select HTTP. For a secured site, under Type, select HTTPS, and then under SSL certificate, select the name of the certificate you created in step 3.

9. Click OK to create the site.

Configuring Internet Explorer for the RDP website

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If you use Internet Explorer, you may receive the following error message:Internet Explorer has blocked this site from using an ActiveX control in an unsafe manner. As a result, this page may not display correctly.

To bypass this error, you must add the storage server to the Trusted Sites zone, and then configure Internet Explorer to either enable or prompt for permission to use ActiveX controls that are not marked as safe for scripting in the Trusted Sites zone.

To add the storage server to the Trusted Sites zone

1. In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options.

2. Click the Security tab.

3. Under Select a zone to view or change security settings, click Trusted sites.

4. Click Sites.

5. Under Add this website to the zone, type the URL for the storage appliance (for example, https://storage_appliance).

6. Click Add, and then click Close.

To enable the use of ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer

1. Open Internet Explorer.

2. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.

3. On the Security tab, click Trusted sites, and then click Custom level.

4. Under Settings, scroll down to Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe for scripting, and then click either Enable or Prompt.

5. Click OK to save the change to the security policy.

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Using RemoteAppYou can remotely manage a storage appliance running Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 using RemoteApp. RemoteApp is installed as part of the Remote Desktop Services role in Windows Server 2008 R2. For more information on using RemoteApp, see RemoteApp Manager (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=200296).

Using Windows PowerShell RemotingYou can remotely manage a storage appliance running Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 using Windows PowerShell remoting. For more information on enabling and using Windows PowerShell remoting, see Windows PowerShell Remoting (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=2002967).

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