A look at storage in Windows Server 8

Frequent TechTarget contributor and Microsoft MVP Brien Posey introduces some of the storage features and changes in Windows Server 8 in this video.

Posey is working with a pre-beta developer preview of Windows Server 8, and he notes there could be changes before the software hits the market, but the beta version gives a good sense of what Microsoft is planning for the future.

Disk management console

Windows Server 8's disk management console will offer an option to create a VHD (virtual hard disk file) or attach a VHD.

According to Posey, "Ever since Windows NT first debuted, the disk management console has been used to control physical disks… In Windows Server 2008, you could attach an iSCSI drive that would show up as a physical disk, but virtual hard disk files have never shown up as physical disks before."

Server manager

Server manager will offer "pools" that allow users to overlay virtual hard disk files of up to 16 TB onto physical storage. It also allows the creation of pools that span multiple physical storage devices in order to combine storage space.

"Windows Server 8 is actually showing these as physical disks, even though they're actually virtual disks that exist within our storage pool," explained Posey during the demonstration.

According to Microsoft, the upcoming version of its Windows Server software will allow developers to use the same tools to build applications for on-premise and cloud use, virtualize work environments, stronger security and other offerings.