M10971 Storage and High Availability with Windows Server

Module 1: Disks and Volumes with Windows Server
This module covers the configuration and management of disks and volumes focusing on changes and enhancements to existing technologies in Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2. It also discusses how and when to use EFS (Encrypting File System) and BitLocker, which enable you to secure data at rest.

Lessons

• Managing Disks in Windows Server
• Managing Volumes in Windows Server
• Securing Volumes and Drives

Lab : Managing Disks and Volumes in Windows Server 2012

• Create and Manage Virtual Hard Disks by Using Windows PowerShell
• Convert Virtual Hard Disks From a .vhd Format to a .vhdx Format
• Resize a Volume
• Enable BitLocker to Secure a Drive

Module 2: Fundamental Storage Technologies and Components
This module describes various fundamental storage technologies and components, including storage topology options, bus technologies in Windows Server, and sharing configuration in Windows Server.

Lessons

• Storage Topology Options
• Configuring Bus Technologies in Windows Server
• Configuring Sharing in Windows Server

Lab : Planning and Configuring Storage Technologies and Components

• Plan Storage Requirements
• Configuring iSCSI Storage
• Configure and Manage Share Infrastructure

Module 3: Implementing Storage Spaces and Data Deduplication
This module discusses how to manage, maintain, and recover Storage Spaces, how to configure storage pools and virtual hard disks, and how to implement Data Deduplication.

Lessons

• Implementing Storage Spaces
• Maintaining Storage Spaces
• Implementing Data Deduplication

Lab : Implementing Storage Spaces

• Create a Storage Space
• Enable and Configure Storage Tiering

Lab : Implementing Data Deduplication

• Install Data Deduplication
• Configure Data Deduplication

Module 4: High Availability in Windows Server
This module initially covers high availability in Windows Server in general terms, such as defining levels of availability and disaster recovery options and requirements. It then covers High Availability options which are available for virtual machines outside of failover clustering and follows that then by specifically covering High Availability as provided by failover clustering.

Lessons

• Defining Levels of Availability
• High Availability and Disaster Recovery Solutions with Hyper-V Virtual Machines
• High Availability with Failover Clustering in Windows Server 2012

Lab : Planning and Configuring High Availability and Disaster Recovery Solutions

• Determine an Appropriate High Availability and Disaster Recovery Solution
• Implement Storage Migration
• Implement Hyper-V Replica

Module 5: Implementing Failover Clustering
This module explains how to create and administer a failover cluster, including planning, creating, managing, and monitoring a cluster.

Lessons

• Planning a Failover Cluster
• Creating a New Failover Cluster

Lab : Creating and Administering a Cluster

• Create a failover cluster
• Verify Quorum settings and add a node
• Evict a node and verify Quorum settings
• Configure Quorum from Disk Witness to File Share Witness and Define Node Voting
• Add Disk to and Remove Disks From the Cluster

Module 6: Managing Server Roles and Clustering Resources
This module describes how to configure roles and services for high availability on a failover cluster, how to manage and maintain a failover cluster, and how to implement site high availability with multi-site failover clustering.

Lessons

• Configuring High Availability Applications and Services on a Failover Cluster
• Managing and Maintaining a Failover Cluster
• Troubleshooting a Failover Cluster
• Implementing Site High Availability with Multi-site Failover Clustering

Lab : Managing Server Roles and Clustering Resources

• Prepare For and Create a Failover Cluster by Using Windows PowerShell
• Implement Storage Spaces with Failover Clustering
• Add the General File Server Role and Create Data
• Verify High Availability Functionality
• Securing Cluster Shared Volumes with BitLocker Drive Encryption
• Configure Cluster Aware Updating

Module 7: Implementing Failover Clustering with Hyper-V
This module gives an overview of Hyper-V and failover clustering integration, as well as Implementing Hyper-V failover Clustering with Scale-Out File Server (SoFS). It also covers the management and maintenance of Hyper-V virtual machines on failover clusters.

Lessons

• Overview of Integrating Hyper-V with Failover Clustering
• Implementing Hyper-V with Failover Clustering
• Managing and Maintaining Hyper-V Virtual Machines on Failover Clusters

Lab : Implementing Failover Clustering by Using Hyper-V

• Create a Hyper-V Application Cluster
• Create a SoFS Storage Guest Cluster with Shared Virtual Hard Disk
• Migrate virtual Machine Virtual Hard Disks to SoFS Storage Guest Cluster
• Validate Storage Guest Cluster Functionality
• Perform Live Migration of Guest Clustered Virtual Machines

Module 8: Storage Infrastructure Management with Virtual Machine Manager
This module describes Virtual Machine Manager and how to use it to manage storage infrastructure. It also discusses using System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager to provision failover clusters for Hyper-V.

Lessons

• Overview of Virtual Machine Manager
• Managing Storage Infrastructure with Virtual Machine Manager
• Provisioning Failover Cluster in System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager

Lab : Storage Infrastructure Management with Virtual Machine Manager

• Configure and Provision Storage Infrastructure Components
• Add Storage to Virtual Machine Manager
• Create SoFS Storage Cluster

Module 9: Cloud Based Storage and High Availability
This module discusses cloud-based storage and high availability solutions, including Azure, StorSimple, and disaster recovery with Hyper-V Recovery Manager.

Lessons

• Microsoft Azure Storage Solutions and Infrastructure
• Cloud Integrated Storage with StorSimple
• Disaster Recovery with Hyper-V Recovery Manager

Lab : Cloud Based Storage and High Availability

• Asses Options for A. Datum's Future Storage and Service Needs
• Optional Exercise: Configure Azure Storage
• Optional Exercise: Configure Azure Virtual Machines
• Optional Exercise: Manage Azure Storage and Virtual Machines by Using Windows PowerShell

Module 10: Implementing Network Load Balancing Clusters
This module introduces Network Load Balancing (NLB) and the situations for which NLB is appropriate. It also covers how to configure and manage NLB clusters, perform maintenance tasks on NLB clusters, and how load balancing works in System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager and Microsoft Azure.

Lessons

• Overview of NLB
• Configuring an NLB Cluster
• Planning an NLB Implementation

Lab : Implementing a Network Load Balancing Cluster

• Implementing an NLB Cluster
• Configuring and Managing the NLB Cluster
• Validating High Availability for the NLB Cluster