Why Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) is Superior to RAID? Find Out the Comparison!

How to Enable and Configure Storage Spaces Direct (S2D)

Once you have qualified the hardware and software, the next step is to enable and configure Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) in Windows Server Datacenter Edition. This process includes enabling the Failover Clustering feature, cluster validation, creating a storage pool, and creating a virtual disk (storage space).

Step 1: Enable Failover Clustering & Storage Spaces Direct Feature

Before enabling S2D, make sure that the Failover Clustering and File Server features are installed on each node in the cluster. Use the following PowerShell command:

Install-WindowsFeature -Name FS-FileServer, Failover-Clustering -IncludeManagementTools

Explanation:

• FS-FileServer = Enables File Server features required for cluster-based storage management.
• Failover-Clustering = Enables clustering feature that allows multiple servers to operate as a single unit.
• IncludeManagementTools = Ensure management tools such as Failover Cluster Manager are also installed.

Step 2: Validate and Create a Cluster

Once the feature is enabled, you need to validate the cluster and then create a new cluster.

Before creating a cluster, make sure all nodes are working properly and compatible by using the following command:

Test-Cluster -Node Server1, Server2

Test-Cluster will conduct a series of validation tests on hardware, networking, storage, and system configurations. Make sure there are no critical errors, if there are warnings, check that they are still within safe limits.

If validation is successful, create a new cluster with the desired name, for example, “MyCluster”, and a specific static IP address:

New-Cluster -Name MyCluster -Node Server1, Server2 -StaticAddress <IP_Address>

Once the cluster is created, check its status in Failover Cluster Manager or with PowerShell:

Get-Cluster

If the cluster is successfully created, move on to the next step.

Step 3: Enable Storage Spaces Direct (S2D)

Once the cluster is formed, activate the Storage Spaces Direct with the following command:

Enable-ClusterS2D

 This command activates Storage Spaces Direct inside the cluster that has been created. Windows will automatically recognize available drives, configure storage pools, and enable cache if NVMe or SSD disks are present.

Verify the results of S2D activation with the command:

Get-StoragePool

If the output shows a new storage pool named “S2D on MyCluster”, it means that S2D has been successfully activated.

Step 4: Create a Virtual Disk (Storage Space)

Once S2D is enabled, the next step is to create a storage volume that can be used like a regular drive.

Use the following command to create 1TB of storage space in NTFS format:

New-Volume -StoragePoolFriendlyName “S2D on MyCluster” -FriendlyName “Volume1” -FileSystem NTFS -Size 1TB

Explanation:

• StoragePoolFriendlyName “S2D on MyCluster” = Utilizing the storage pool that has been automatically created by S2D.
• FriendlyName “Volume1” = Assigns a name to the newly created volume.
• FileSystem NTFS = Use NTFS format (or can choose ReFS for better performance).
• Size 1TB = The size of the volume to be made, can be adjusted as needed.

Once the volume has been successfully created, you can check it with the command:

Get-Volume

If the volume appears in the list, the configuration has been successful. This volume can now be used like a regular drive.

Storage Spaces Direct Architecture: Mirror vs. Parity

Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) provides two main options for setting redundancy and storage efficiency: Mirror and Parity. In addition, S2D also has Hybrid Mode, which combines the advantages of both options. Here’s a detailed explanation of each option, along with examples of how to use it in different workload scenarios.

1. Mirror: High Redundancy, Maximum Performance

Mirroring is a storage technique in which data is copied to multiple drives simultaneously. It is similar to RAID 1 (mirroring two drives) or RAID 10 (mirroring with striping).