FSCT test results detail the performance of Windows Server 2008 R2 File Server configurations – 23,000 users with 192 spindles

1. Introduction The File Server Capacity Tool (FSCT) is a free download from Microsoft that helps you determine the capacity of a specific file server configuration (running Windows or any operating system that implements the SMB or SMB2 protocols). It simulates a specific set of operations (the “Home Folders” workload) being executed by a large … Continue reading FSCT test results detail the performance of Windows Server 2008 R2 File Server configurations – 23,000 users with 192 spindles →

Updated iSCSI Initiator Users Guide for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

We just got an updated version of the “iSCSI Initiator Users Guide for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2“ posted on the Microsoft Download Center by Bruce Langworthy, the iSCSI Initiator PM. Here’s a summary of the contents of this 82-page Word document: · Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Step-by-Step Guide· Understanding Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Features and … Continue reading Updated iSCSI Initiator Users Guide for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 →

Microsoft iSCSI Software Target 3.3 for Windows Server 2008 R2 available for public download

Introduction For the last few years, I’ve been blogging about the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target and its many uses related to Windows Server Failover Clustering, Hyper-V and other server scenarios. Today, Microsoft has made this software publicly available to all users of Windows Server 2008 R2. The Microsoft iSCSI Software Target has been available for … Continue reading Microsoft iSCSI Software Target 3.3 for Windows Server 2008 R2 available for public download →

File Server improvements from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008 R2. 8 items for 8 years…

Introduction The File Server team often talks to customers about file server migration and file server consolidation projects. Many times, these are customers running Windows Server 2003 that can point to a number of issues they wanted fixed. In most cases, those issues have been identified and corrected in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server … Continue reading File Server improvements from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008 R2. 8 items for 8 years… →

SQL over SMB2 – One of the top 10 hidden gems in SQL Server 2008 R2

Introduction The SQL CAT team has posted a blog last year about the "Top 10 hidden gems in SQL Server 2008 R2", which included the support for placing SQL database files on an SMB network file share. This works even better if you use the SMB2 version of the protocol, which is included in Windows Server … Continue reading SQL over SMB2 – One of the top 10 hidden gems in SQL Server 2008 R2 →

New white paper providing guidance for sizing NTFS volumes

A new white paper covering "NTFS CHKDSK Best Practices and Performance" was posted today at microsoft.com/downloads, covering the CHKDSK improvement in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. This was first highlighted in a blog post by Claus Joergensen in the Filecab blog. Claus mentioned: "Today, Microsoft released a new white paper discussing best practices … Continue reading New white paper providing guidance for sizing NTFS volumes →

Currently available hotfixes for SMB and SMB2 File Server components in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2

If you’re installing a Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 file server, we always recommend getting the latest hotfixes from Windows Update. That will include all security updates and updates that are considered important enough to be delivered to all Windows Server users. However, there is a class of hotfixes there not pushed … Continue reading Currently available hotfixes for SMB and SMB2 File Server components in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 →

The Basics of SMB Signing (covering both SMB1 and SMB2)

SMB Signing Overview Server Message Block (SMB) is the file protocol most commonly used by Windows. SMB Signing is a feature through which communications using SMB can be digitally signed at the packet level. Digitally signing the packets enables the recipient of the packets to confirm their point of origination and their authenticity. This security … Continue reading The Basics of SMB Signing (covering both SMB1 and SMB2) →

Two new blog posts on Windows Storage Server 2008 R2

Scott M. Johnson has published two new blogs post on the Windows Storage Server blog: The first post is a compilation of links covering all kinds of Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 content. http://blogs.technet.com/b/storageserver/archive/2010/11/16/windows-storage-server-2008-r2-references.aspx The second post introduces the two new offerings from HP (X1000 G2 and X3000 G2) that were introduced during the recent TechEd … Continue reading Two new blog posts on Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 →

How to Handle NTFS Folder Permissions, Security Descriptors and ACLs in PowerShell

1. Overview Some time ago, I was automating a few tasks with PowerShell and needed to set NTFS permissions on a folder. I was tempted to use the good old ICACLS.EXE command line, but I wanted to keep it all within PowerShell. While there are a number of different permissions you could want to set for … Continue reading How to Handle NTFS Folder Permissions, Security Descriptors and ACLs in PowerShell →