Configuring Windows 7 (Training Kit) - Part 28 docx

Lesson 2: Managing Disks CHAPTER 4 243 3. On the Select Disks page, select from the available disks and then click Add to add the disks to the striped volume. Specify the amount of space to use on the disks for the striped volume. 4. On the Assign Drive Letter Or Path page, the default is to assign the next available drive letter to the new volume. You can also mount the volume on an empty NTFS folder on an existing volume. 5. On the Format Volume page of the New Striped Volume Wizard, choose the formatting options for the new volume. Windows 7 supports only NTFS formatting from the Disk Management snap-in. To format with FAT or FAT32, you need to use Diskpart. 6. On the Summary page, read the information provided. If this is satisfactory, click Finish. To create a striped volume on a dynamic disk, enter a command with the following syntax at the DISKPART> prompt: create volume stripe [size=<n>] disk=<n>[,n[, ]] The total size of the stripe volume is the size multiplied by the number of disks. Creating a Mirrored Volume (RAID-1) A mirrored or RAID-1 volume provides availability and fault tolerance but does not improve performance. It uses two disks (or two portions on separate disks) that are the same size. Any changes made to the first disk of a mirror set are also made to its mirror disk. If the first disk fails, the mirror is broken and the second disk is used until the first is repaired or replaced. The mirror is then re-created, and the information on the working disk is mirrored on the repaired disk. The disadvantage of RAID-1 is that you need (for example) two 200-GB disks to hold 200 GB of data. The advantage is that you can mirror a system disk containing your operating system. You create a mirrored volume using a very similar procedure to the one that creates a striped volume, except that you right-click the first disk of your mirror and click New Mirrored Volume to start the appropriate wizard. You then select the second disk. The second disk needs to have a portion of unallocated space that is at least as large as the disk you want to mirror. The drive letter for a mirrored volume is the same as the drive letter of the first disk. You can also use the Diskpart tool to create a mirrored volume. At the DISKPART> prompt you first use the select disk command to select the first disk. You then enter a command with the syntax add disk=<n> to specify the mirror disk. Creating a Striped Volume with Parity (RAID-5) A striped volume with parity offers high availability, failover protection, and performance improvement. It requires at least three disks, or equally sized portions of unallocated space on at least three separate disks. The volume is striped in a similar way to RAID-0, but on each disk, some of the capacity is used to store parity information, which is compressed information about the contents of the other disks in the set. 2 4 4 CHAPTER 4 Managing Devices and Disks Thus, if a disk fails, the data it contained is stored on the other disks in the set, although there is a performance degradation because the parity information needs to be decompressed whenever it is accessed. If a replacement disk is installed, its contents can be regenerated from the parity information on the other disks. Read performance in a RAID-5 (assuming that all disks are working) is enhanced because data can be read from all the disks in the set simultaneously. Although data can also be written to disks simultaneously, this is balanced by the need to generate and write parity information whenever a write occurs. RAID-5 offers an improvement in write performance, but this is less significant than the improvement in read performance. Parity information uses disk space equivalent to a single disk in the RAID-5 set. Thus, if you have three disks, each 200 GB in size, you have 400 GB of useable capacity. If you have four disks, each 200 GB in size, you have 600 GB of useable capacity, and so on. A RAID-5 volume cannot hold system information and cannot store your operating system. Typically, you use RAID-5 to store data because it provides disaster protection and improved performance. You use RAID-1 to mirror your operating system so you can still boot if a disk fails. You can use RAID-0 to store data and this improves both read and write performance significantly, but you should be aware that RAID-0 offers no fault tolerance whatsoever. note HARDWARE RAID Windows 7 offers software implementations of RAID-0, RAID-1, and RAID-5 that require no additional hardware. You can purchase hardware RAID systems that offer advantages (at a price). For example, some hardware RAID-5 systems can store system files. You can also purchase other RAID systems; for example, RAID-10 implements two sets of striped (RAID-0) volumes which are then mirrored (RAID-1). This provides both significant performance gains and fault protection. eXaM tIP The 70-680 examination is likely to test you on software implementations of RAID in Windows 7. It is unlikely to test you on hardware RAID systems supplied by external manufacturers. You create a striped volume with parity using a very similar procedure to that which creates a striped volume, except that you right-click the first disk with unallocated space and click New RAID-5 Volume to start the appropriate wizard. You then select the remaining disks in the set and specify the size of the volume. By default, the equal portion of unallocated space on each disk used to create the volume is equal to the portion of unallocated space on the volume with the least amount of that resource. Thus, if the first disk selected has 100 GB of unallocated space, the second 150 GB of unallocated space, and the third 200 GB of unallocated space, a 300-GB RAID-5 volume with 200 GB of usable storage is created by default. As with a RAID-0 volume, you then specify the drive letter or mount point and the formatting option. Lesson 2: Managing Disks CHAPTER 4 245 You can also use the Diskpart tool to create a RAID-5 volume. At the DISKPART> prompt, you enter a command with the following syntax: create volume raid [size=<n>] disk=<n>[,n[, ]] Resizing a Volume Windows 7 enables you to expand and shrink simple volumes and spanned volumes, but striped volumes are fixed in size. To change the size of a striped volume, you need to delete and re-create it. To shrink a volume using Disk Management, perform the following procedure: 1. Open the Disk Management console. 2. Right-click the volume you want to shrink and click Shrink Volume. Disk Management queries the volume to discover the maximum available shrink space. This can take some time. 3. The Shrink dialog box, displayed in Figure 4-37, shows the maximum amount (in megabytes) that you can shrink the volume. Specify the amount which you want to shrink the volume and click Shrink. The shrink process proceeds without further prompting. FIGURE 4-37 The Shrink dialog box You can also use the Diskpart tool to list the volumes available for shrinking and to shrink a selected volume. The procedure to do this is as follows: 1. Open an elevated command prompt. 2. Enter diskpart. 3. At the DISKPART> prompt, enter list volume. 4. Select the volume you want to shrink; for example, enter select volume 2. 5. To find out the maximum amount by which you can shrink the volume, enter shrink querymax. 2 4 6 CHAPTER 4 Managing Devices and Disks 6. To shrink the selected volume, enter a command of the form shrink desired=<n>, where <n> is the size in megabytes by which you want to shrink the volume. Figure 4-38 shows this procedure. FIGURE 4-38 Using Diskpart to shrink a volume The procedures to extend a volume are similar. In Disk Management, you right-click the volume you want to extend, click Extend Volume, and complete the Extend Volume Wizard. If you are using Diskpart, you select a volume and enter a command with the following syntax: extend [size=<n>] [disk=<n>] Deleting a Volume You can delete a volume from either the Disk Management snap-in or the command line. Deleting a volume permanently erases the data stored on the volume. In the Disk Management console, right-click the volume and then click Delete Volume. From the DISKPART> prompt, list the volumes with the list volume command, select the volume (for example, select volume 3), and enter the delete volume command. Quick Check n You have selected a volume using the Diskpart tool. What command tells you the maximum amount by which you can shrink it? Quick Check Answer n shrink querymax More Info DISKPART For more information about the Diskpart command-line tool, see http://support.microsoft.com/ kb/300415. Lesson 2: Managing Disks CHAPTER 4 247 Practice Configuring Access Policy and Converting a Disk In this practice, you use the Local Group Policy Editor to configure a computer policy that denies write access to USB flash memory devices. You then use the Diskpart command-line utility to convert a basic disk to dynamic. exercise 1 Configuring Write Access to USB Flash Memory Devices In this exercise, you disable write access to USB flash memory devices. You then remove this configuration setting. 1. Ensure you have a USB flash memory device connected to your computer. 2. Log on to the Canberra computer with the Kim_Akers account. 3. Click Start, and in the Start Search box, enter gpedit.msc. This opens the Local Group Policy Editor. 4. In the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, expand Computer Configuration and then expand Administrative Templates. 5. Expand System and click Removable Storage Access. 6. Click Standard to select the Standard tab on the right pane. You see a screen similar to Figure 4-34. 7. In the right pane, double-click Removable Disks: Deny Write Access. 8. Select Enabled, as shown in Figure 4-39. Click OK. FIGURE 4-39 Enabling the Removable Disks: Deny Write Access policy 2 4 8 CHAPTER 4 Managing Devices and Disks 9. Check that you can no longer write to the USB flash memory device. You might have to remove the device and reinsert it to see it in the Computer console. 10. In the Local Group Policy Editor, double-click Removable Disks: Deny Write Access. 11. Select Not Configured. Click OK. 12. Check that you can now write to the USB flash memory device. As before, you might have to remove the device and reinsert it to see it in the Computer console. exercise 2 Converting a Basic Disk to Dynamic Converting a basic disk to dynamic is typically a safe procedure that does not affect the information on the disk. Nevertheless, before you attempt this procedure, it is a good idea to back up any important files on the disk. If you have two disks on your computer, choose the disk that does not contain your operating system. 1. If necessary, log on to the Canberra computer with the Kim_Akers account. 2. On the All Programs/Accessories menu, right-click Command Prompt and click Run As Administrator. If necessary, click OK to close the UAC dialog box. 3. Enter diskpart. 4. At the DISKPART> prompt, enter list disk and note the number of the disk you want to convert. 5. At the DISKPART> prompt, enter select disk <disknumber>. Your screen should look similar to Figure 4-40. FIGURE 4-40 Selecting a disk to convert 6. At the DISKPART> prompt, enter convert dynamic. Lesson Summary n You can use the Disk Management console or the Diskpart command-line tool to manage disks, partitions, and volumes on a computer running Windows 7. n You can use Group Policy to control access to removable devices. Lesson 2: Managing Disks CHAPTER 4 249 n Windows 7 supports basic disks, dynamic disks, the MBR partition type, and the GPT partition type and allows you to convert from one to the other. n Windows 7 offers software RAID-0, RAID-1, and RAID-5 volumes. You can also create simple and spanned volumes. You can shrink or expand a volume without needing to use third-party tools. Lesson Review You can use the following questions to test your knowledge of the information in Lesson 2, “Managing Disks.” The questions are also available on the companion DVD if you prefer to review them in electronic form. note ANSWERS Answers to these questions and explanations of why each answer choice is correct or incorrect are located in the “Answers” section at the end of the book. 1. Which Diskpart command converts an MBR disk to a GPT disk? a. convert gpt B. convert mbr c. convert basic D. convert dynamic 2. You require fault tolerance for your operating system so that your computer running Windows 7 Home Premium can still boot up if a disk fails. You have two disks and unallocated space on your second disk. What do you do? a. Create a VHD and install an image of your computer on the VHD. Use BCDEdit to make the VHD bootable. B. Create a RAID-0 volume. c. Create a RAID-1 volume. D. Create a RAID-5 volume. 3. You want to prohibit read, write, and execute access to all types of external storage devices. What computer policy setting do you enable? a. All Removable Storage: Allow Direct Access In Remote Sessions B. All Removable Storage Classes: Deny All Access c. Removable Disks: Deny Read Access D. Removable Disks: Deny Write Access 4. You are using the Diskpart tool to create a RAID-0 volume from unallocated space on Disks 1, 2, and 3. You want the volume to be as large as possible. What command do you enter? a. create volume stripe size=0 disk=1,2,3 B. create volume stripe disk=1,2,3 2 5 0 CHAPTER 4 Managing Devices and Disks c. create volume raid size=0 disk=1,2,3 D. create volume raid disk=1,2,3 5. You are moving a dynamic volume from the Canberra computer running Windows 7 to the Aberdeen computer running Windows 7. The disk had been allocated drive letter H: on Canberra. Drives C:, D:, and E: already exist on Aberdeen. You have not config- ured Aberdeen to prevent new volumes from being added to the system. What drive letter is allocated to the disk on Aberdeen? a. The disk is not mounted, and no drive letter is allocated. B. F: c. G: D. H: Key Terms CHAPTER 4 251 Chapter Review To further practice and reinforce the skills you learned in this chapter, you can perform the following tasks: n Review the chapter summary. n Review the list of key terms introduced in this chapter. n Complete the case scenarios. These scenarios set up real-word situations involving the topics of this chapter and ask you to create a solution. n Complete the suggested practices. n Take a practice test. Chapter Summary n If a device is not PnP, you need to supply administrator credentials to install it. You can prestage a device driver and (if necessary) digitally sign it so non-administrators can install it. n You can prevent drivers downloading from Windows Update and installing automatically. You can also remove the Windows Update site from the search path for device drivers not in the device driver store. You can update, disable (or stop), uninstall, or roll back device drivers. n Windows 7 enables you to manage disks, partitions, and volumes and to control access to removable devices. You can convert one disk type to another and one partition type to another. You can shrink or expand volumes. n Windows 7 supports single, spanned, RAID-0, RAID-1, and RAID-5 volumes. Key Terms Do you know what these key terms mean? You can check your answers by looking up the terms in the glossary at the end of the book. n defragmentation n driver store n staging n Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) n Trusted Publisher store 2 5 2 CHAPTER 4 Managing Devices and Disks Case Scenarios In the following case scenarios, you apply what you’ve learned about deploying system images. You can find answers to these questions in the “Answers” section at the end of this book. Case Scenario 1: Enforcing a Driver Signing Policy You are a senior systems administrator at the A. Datum Corporation. A. Datum’s written company policy states that only drivers that have been through the WHQL evaluation process and have been digitally signed by Microsoft should be installed on the production network. You have a test network completely separate from the production network on which you test software, including currently unsigned device drivers. You suspect that one of your assistants has installed an unsigned driver on a computer on the production network and as a result, the video card on that computer is not working properly. Answer the following questions: 1. How do you check the DirectX video card and discover whether the driver is not WHQL-approved and if there are any other problems? 2. How do you check there are no other unsigned drivers installed on the computer? 3. If the problem is not the driver, what tool can you use to determine if there is a resource clash with other hardware? 4. The unsigned driver in question worked fine on your test network. You want to test it again more thoroughly under stress conditions, such as low resources. What tool can you use to do this? Case Scenario 2: Managing Disks You have configured a computer running Windows 7 Enterprise and added three hard disks. Drive 0 is the original disk. It holds the operating system on the C: drive. It is a 200-GB disk and has no unallocated space. Drive 1 is a 200-GB drive, Drive 2 is a 400-GB drive, and Drive 3 is a 200-GB drive. Currently, all space on Disks 1, 2, and 3 is unallocated. You want to ensure fault tolerance for both your operating system and your data. You also want to reduce the time taken to access data. Answer the following questions: 1. What type of volume would you create to hold your operating system, and on which disks would you create it? 2. What type of volume would you create to hold your data, and on which disks would you create it? 3. Given the answer to question 2, what would be the size of the usable data storage on your data volume? . 249 n Windows 7 supports basic disks, dynamic disks, the MBR partition type, and the GPT partition type and allows you to convert from one to the other. n Windows 7 offers software RAID-0, RAID-1,. but you should be aware that RAID-0 offers no fault tolerance whatsoever. note HARDWARE RAID Windows 7 offers software implementations of RAID-0, RAID-1, and RAID-5 that require no additional. can use the Disk Management console or the Diskpart command-line tool to manage disks, partitions, and volumes on a computer running Windows 7. n You can use Group Policy to control access