Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Getting

Started Guide
Microsoft Corporation
Published: August 2010

Abstract
Windows 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 information
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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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Contents
Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Getting Started Guide 5
Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 components 5
In this guide 6

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

Initial Configuration Tasks 7

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

Network Configuration 10
Failover clustering considerations 10
Automatic configuration 10
Manual configuration 10
Setting an IP address 11
Syntax 11
Parameters 11
Remarks 12
Examples 12

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

Storage Provisioning and Access 13

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

Single Instance Storage (SIS) 15

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

Managing SIS on a Volume 16

Using Sisadmin.exe 17
Additional references 18

Uninstalling SIS from a Server 18

Sisadmin.exe Commands 19
Sisadmin.exe examples 19

Remote Server Management 20

Using Remote Desktop Connection 20
Using Remote Desktop Protocol 21
Setting up the RDP website 21
Configuring Internet Explorer for the RDP website 22
Using RemoteApp 23
Using Windows PowerShell Remoting 23

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Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Getting
Started Guide
Windows® 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:

 Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Workgroup

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 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.
 Windows PowerShell™ cmdlets Enable task automation.

Important

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 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 Features
This topic explains the technology features that are supported in Windows Storage
Server 2008 R2.

Common supported features

The following features are supported in all three editions of Windows Storage Server 2008 R2:
 iSCSI Software Target 3.3
 Print and Document Services
 Windows Backup
 Windows Search
 DHCP Server

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 Network File System (NFS)
 Distributed File System Replication (DFSR)
 File Server Resource Manager (FRSM)

Edition-specific supported features

The 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 32 GB 32 GB 2 TB

(RAM)
Network adapters 2 Unlimited Unlimited
Disks 6/Any/Any Any/Any/Any Any/Any/Any
(number/interfaces/RAID
type)
Users 25 Unlimited Unlimited
Server Message Block (SMB) 50 Unlimited Unlimited
connections
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

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Hosted cache No No Yes

Initial Configuration Tasks

The 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 window

Two 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
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.

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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

Two-node failover cluster tasks

For 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

Wizard

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The 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 Wizard

The 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
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

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 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.
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 Configuration
Typical 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

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 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 considerations

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

Manual configuration
Note
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

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 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.

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

Syntax
netsh 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").

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[ 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.

/?
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.

Examples
netsh 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

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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 address

The following syntax configures a DNS server address for a specified interface.

Syntax
set 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 }

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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.

[ 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.

Examples
set dns name="Storage Mgmt" source=dhcp
set dns "Storage Mgmt" static 10.0.0.1 primary

Storage Provisioning and Access

This section discusses disk storage provisioning and access.

Disk volume considerations

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The 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.
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-in

The 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.

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 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
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 System

Services 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.

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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
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 service
The 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 Filter

The 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 SIS

If 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.
Backup and recovery using SIS has the following requirements:

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 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 Volume

Single 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.
Local Administrators permissions are required to complete the following procedures.

To enable SIS on a volume

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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.exe
Every 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
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

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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 /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

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 references

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

Uninstalling SIS from a Server

By 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
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.

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Sisadmin.exe Commands
Although 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.
 /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.

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 /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:
 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 Management

You 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)

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 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

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.

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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 Protocol

You 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.
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 website

You 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.

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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.

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

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 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

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.

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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.

Using RemoteApp
You 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 Remoting

You 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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