the dynamic software providers manage dynamic disks with fault management. A hardware provider translates the VDS APIs into instructions specific to the storage hardware. This is how storage management applications are able to communicate with the storage hardware to create LUNs or Fibre Channel HBAs to view the WWN. The following are Windows Server 2012 R2 storage management applications that use VDS:
■ The Disk Management snap-in is an application that allows you to configure and manage the disk drives on the host computer. You have already seen this application in use when you initialized disks and created volume sets.
■ DiskPart is a command-line utility that configures and manages disks, volumes, and partitions on the host computer. It can also be used to script many of the storage management commands. DiskPart is a robust tool that you should study on your own because it is beyond the scope of this book. Figure 1.8 shows the various commands and their function in the DiskPart utility.
FIGURE 1.8 DiskPart commands
■ DiskRAID is also a scriptable command-line utility that configures and manages hardware RAID storage systems. However, at least one VDS hardware provider must be installed for DiskRAID to be functional. DiskRAID is another useful utility that you should study on your own because it’s beyond the scope of this book.
Booting from a VHD
Once you have installed each operating system, you can choose the operating system that you will boot to during the boot process. You will see a boot selection screen that asks you to choose which operating system you want to boot.
The Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store contains boot information parameters that were previously found in boot.ini in older versions of Windows. To edit the boot options in the BCD store, use the bcdedit utility, which can be launched only from a command prompt. To open a command prompt window, do the following:
1. Launch \Windows\system32\cmd.exe.
2. Open the Run command by pressing the Windows key plus the R key and then entering cmd.
3. Type cmd.exe in the Search Programs And Files box and press Enter.
After the command prompt window is open, type bcdedit to launch the bcdedit utility. You can also type bcdedit /? to see all of the different bcdedit commands.
Summary
In this chapter, you studied the latest advantages of using Windows Server 2012 R2. You also learned about the different roles and features you can install on a Windows Server 2012 R2 machine. You also explored how to migrate those roles and features from a Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2, and Windows Server 2012 machine to a Windows Server 2012 R2 machine.
I discussed the different upgrade paths that are available and which upgrades are best for your current network setup. You learned that another important issue to decide when installing Windows Server 2012 R2 is whether to use Server Core or the GUI installation.
You learned how to install Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter with GUI, and you installed the Windows Server 2012 R2 Server Core. Remember, Server Core is a slimmed-down version of Windows Server. With no GUI desktop available, it’s a safer alternative to a normal Windows install. As discussed, a nice advantage of Windows Server 2012 R2 is that you can change from Server Core to the GUI version and back again.
I discussed a feature called Features On Demand. This feature allows you to remove roles and features from the operating system and remove the associated files completely from the hard drive, thus saving disk space.
You examined the various aspects of Windows Server 2012 R2 storage services as well as the various types of storage technologies and native Windows Server 2012 R2 storage management tools. I started the chapter by discussing initializing disks and choosing a partition type: MBR or GPT. I then discussed the types of disk configurations, dynamic and basic, that are supported in Windows Server 2012 R2. You learned that various properties are associated with each type of configuration. Then I discussed the different types of RAID and the properties of each.
The next section explored storage technologies, namely, iSCSI, Fibre Channel, and NAS. I primarily focused on iSCSI because of the native support in Window Server 2012 R2. You learned how to configure an iSCSI initiator and a connection to an iSCSI target. After that, you looked at its iSNS server and how to configure it.
The chapter concluded by looking at Storage Manager for SANs and Storage Explorer, which are built-in management tools in Windows Server 2012 R2 for storage devices and firewall settings.
Exam Essentials
Understand the upgrade paths. It’s important to make sure you understand the different upgrade paths from Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 and Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server 2012 R2.
Understand Windows Server 2012 R2 server roles. Understand what the Windows Server 2012 R2 server roles do for an organization and its users.
Understand Windows Server 2012 R2 GUI vs. Server Core. Understand the difference between the Windows Server 2012 R2 GUI version and the Windows Server 2012 R2 Server Core version. Know the benefits of using Server Core, and know that you can convert between the two different versions.
Understand Features On Demand. Understand the new feature called Features On Demand. Microsoft loves to ask exam questions about its new features, and this will be no exception. Understand how features and roles stay on the system until you physically remove them from the hard drive.
Know disk types. Know how to initialize disks and the type of partitioning to choose. Also know the difference between dynamic and basic disks and when to use them.
Understand RAID. Know the various RAID types, the requirements for each, and when it is appropriate to use each type.
Know storage technologies. Understand how to use the storage technologies Fibre Channel, iSCSI, and NAS. Know how to configure an iSCSI initiator and how to establish a connection to a target. Know the various MPIO policies.
Understand how to manage storage. Know what type of administrative features are available for Storage Manager for SANs and Storage Explorer.
Review Questions
1. You are the administrator for the ABC Company. You are looking to install Windows Server 2012 R2, and you need to decide which version to install. You need to install a version of Windows that is just for logon authentication and nothing else. You want the most secure option and cost is not an issue. What should you install?
A. Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter with GUI
B. Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter Server Core
C. Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard with GUI
D. Windows Server 2012 R2 Web Server Core
2. You are the IT manager for a large organization. One of your co-workers installed a new Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter Server Core machine, but now the IT team has decided that
