Chapter 7 - Configuring and Managing Data Storage

• volume set


  Two or more formatted basic disk partitions (volumes) that are combined to look like one volume with a single drive letter. Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) Backup service used in Windows Server 2016 to create stable images of files and folders on servers based on the point in time when the image is made.
• volume


  A logical designation of one or more physical disks partitioned and formatted with one file system. One volume can be composed of one or more partitions. In Windows Server 2016, a volume can be a basic disk partition that has been formatted for a particular file system, a primary partition, a volume set, an extended volume, a stripe set, a stripe set with parity, or a mirror set. A volume can also be a dynamic disk that is set up as a simple volume, spanned volume, striped volume, RAID-5 volume, or mirrored volume.
• virtual disk


  As used in Storage Spaces, a grouping of different kinds of physical disks, also known as a storage pool, that are combined on a server to appear to the user or to an application as one disk. See storage pool and Storage Spaces.
• Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)


  A firmware alternative to BIOS that includes the use of GPT disks. See Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) Partition Table (GPT).
• tiered storage places


  In Storage Spaces, the ability to have slow tiers (slow disk technology, such as SATA) for less frequently accessed data and fast tiers (faster disk technology, such as SSD) for more frequently accessed data.
• system volume


  Volume on dynamic disks that is used to boot the computer.
• striping


  A data storage method that breaks up data files across all volumes of a disk set to minimize wear on a single volume. system partition Partition on basic disks that contains boot files.
• striped volume


  Two or more dynamic disks that use striping so that files are spread in blocks across the disks.
• stripe set


  Two or more basic disks set up so that files are spread in blocks across the disks.
• Storage Spaces Direct

  Software-defined storage that is intended to make storage more versa- tile through making it easier to add storage as needed, to access storage, and to use new storage capabilities. See Storage Spaces.
• Storage Spaces


  A Windows Server 2016 technology that enables multiple physical disks to be formed into individual storage pools. See storage pool.
• storage pool


  Used in Storage Spaces, a grouping of physical disks and disk space to be managed by a Windows Server 2016 server as a virtual disk.
• Storage Area Network (SAN)


  A grouping of storage devices that forms a subnet. The storage devices are available to any server on the main network and appear to the user as though they are attached to the server they are accessing.
• spanned volume


  Two or more Windows Server dynamic disks that are combined to appear as one disk.
• solid state drive (SSD)


  A fast storage technology based on using semiconductors for storage, similar to flash drives.
• software-defined storage (SDS)


  Managing data storage with software that is independent of the actual storage hardware.
• Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)


  A 32- or 64-bit computer adapter that transports data between one or more attached devices, such as hard disks, and the computer using parallel communications technology.
• simple volume


  A portion of a disk or an entire disk that is set up as a dynamic disk.
• Server Message Block version 3 (SMBv3)

  Version 3 of the SMB protocol native to Windows operating systems that is used for sharing folders and files on a network as well as for communications between nodes in Storage Spaces Direct.
• Serial Attached SCSI (SAS)


  An update to parallel SCSI that uses serial communications and does not require terminators as with the older parallel SCSI technology.
• Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA)


  A high-speed serial interface technology for hard disks.
• RAID-5 volume


  Three or more dynamic disks that use RAID level 5 fault tolerance through disk striping and creating parity blocks for data recovery.
• RAID


  (redundant array of inexpensive [or independent] disks) A set of standards designed to extend the life of hard disk drives and to prevent data loss from a hard disk failure.
• primary partition

  Partition or portion of a hard disk that is bootable.
• partitioning


  Allocating a group of tracks and sectors on a disk to be used by a particular file system, such as NTFS.
• partition table


  Table containing information about each partition on a disk, such as the type of partition, size, and location. Also, the partition table provides information to the computer about how to access the disk.
• parallelized repair


  A process in Storage Spaces that causes the data on a failed disk to be automatically spread over all of the remaining functioning disks.
• Non-volatile Memory Express (NVMe)


  A communications protocol and interface created for SSD to enable much faster data access and to reduce data latency.
• mounted drive


  A physical disk, CD/DVD, removable drive, or other drive that appears as a folder and that is accessed through a path like any other folder. Multipath I/O A set of drivers in Windows Server 2016 that can be used with device and network architecture to set up multiple paths between a server and its disk storage to achieve fault tolerance.
• mirrored volume


  Two dynamic disks that are set up for RAID level 1 so that data on one disk is stored on a redundant disk.
• Master Boot Record (MBR)


  Data created in the first sector of a disk, containing startup information and information about disk partitions.
• Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI)


  A high-speed technology used in SANs that employs TCP/IP communications and SCSI disk drives. See Storage Area Network (SAN).
• home directory or home folder


  A server folder that is associated with a user's account and that is a designated workspace for the user to store files. incremental backup Backs up only files that are new or that have been updated.
• Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) Partition Table (GPT)


  A method for partitioning disks that allows for theoretically unlimited partitions and use of larger disks. In Windows Server 2016, the maximum number of partitions on a GPT disk is 128, and the maximum partition size is up to 18 exabytes.
• full backup


  A backup of an entire system, including all system files, programs, and data files.
• fragmented


  Having files spread throughout a disk with empty pockets of space between files; a normal and gradual process in the functioning of an operating system, addressed by using a defragmentation utility.
• formatting


  A process that prepares a hard disk partition for a specific file system.
• fault tolerance


  Techniques that employ hardware and software to provide assurance against equipment failures, computer service interruptions, and data loss.
• extended partition


  A partition that is created from unpartitioned free disk space and is linked to a primary partition in order to increase the available disk space.
• dynamic disk


  In Windows Server 2016, a disk that does not use traditional partitioning, which means that there is no restriction to the number of volumes that can be set up on one disk or to the ability to extend volumes onto additional physical disks. Dynamic disks are compatible with Windows Server 2016 back through Windows 2000 Server.