I. Preface
This is the fourth in a series of articles. The first three parts are as follows:
Part I: Selection of Home NAS Solutions and HP GEN8 Unpacking
Part II: GEN8 hardware transformation
Part III: HP GEN8 ILO Remote Management and BIOS Setup
The next plan is to write about Hyper-V settings for virtual machines and installing Synology 5.2.
In the previous post, I detailed the setup and use of HP's ILO remote management tool. Now, let me review the system platform, data storage, and access plan:
1. System Platform: Windows Server 2012
2. Data Storage: Two 4TB Red disks used as mirrored virtual disks in a storage pool.
3. Data Access: Synology 5.2 accesses data from the Windows system via NFS mount.
Disclaimer: This article focuses only on the installation and debugging techniques of the Windows system.
First, a photo of the NAS family (GEN8 + 4TB Red disk + 300GB hard drive + K2P, next to the tripod is shot)
Second, Installing Windows Server 2012 R2
(A) Choosing the Operating System
Let me briefly explain why I chose Windows Server 2012 instead of Windows 2008, Windows 2016, or Windows 10. It was a bit inevitable and a bit accidental.
1. Since it's mainly for NAS without entertainment, Windows 10 wasn't an option. At the time, I was testing virtual machines on my laptop, but Hyper-V wouldn't install properly. So I ended up using Windows Server.
2. Windows Server has three mainstream versions: Windows 2008, 2012, and 2016. At that time, the IP (Intelligent Provisioning) drivers of HP GEN8 had full support for Windows 2008 and 2012, but there were issues with Windows 2016. I also worried that Windows 2016 might be too slow, and Windows 2008 felt outdated without built-in storage pool technology. So I chose Windows 2012. During installation, the IP driver support was perfect. Once it worked, I didn’t try other versions again. In fact, the GEN8 drivers fully support Windows 2016 and won’t cause any problems.
(B) Installing the System Using IP
The IP mentioned here is not an IP address. It stands for HP’s Intelligent Provisioning, a tool that integrates drivers for all major systems and allows remote, fast, and non-intrusive system installation without needing a disc.
1. Starting the IP Installation
Power on the GEN8. After seeing the following interface, press F10 to enter the IP interface.
Wait for half a minute, and then the following interface appears. Select Configure and Install.
2. Changing the Installation Options
Enter the next screen and change the “System Software Update†option to “Skip Updates.†Otherwise, it will automatically connect to HPE’s official website to update firmware before installing the system, which may take several hours. I didn’t dare to test it, but if you’re interested, feel free to try it yourself. Others can use the default options.
3. Loading the Remote System Installation Media
Go to the next screen and keep the default options. Here, you can see that ILO can remotely mount the system installation disk. You can load the ISO image file on the console via Virtual Drivers → Image File CD-ROM/DVD. It can be a local file, a LAN shared file, or even a URL.
4. Choosing the Version to Install
Enter the next interface, where IP correctly identifies the system version on the media. Choose the appropriate version to install (I selected the DataCenter version with a GUI interface). It’s recommended to enter the computer name and administrator password in advance. After that, the IP can handle everything automatically without user intervention.
5. Confirming the Installation Information
Go to the next screen, confirm the information, and click Next to start the installation. All you need to do after that is restart the system. I won’t demonstrate the rest of the interface, as I don’t want to reinstall the system.
6. The System Interface
After the system restarts, you’ll reach the Windows 2012 login screen. Click Ctrl+Alt+Del through the console keyboard menu to log in. Set a fixed IP first, then start the remote desktop. From then on, the ILO remote console can be put aside (only for managing the Windows system). The remote desktop is more convenient than the console when working with the Windows platform.
Third, Storage Pool Debugging
(A) Data Disk Management Program
First, determine the data disk management program. Since I’m not using the server’s RAID mode, I opted for Windows Server 2012’s built-in storage pool technology to protect data. I used two Western Digital 4TB Red disks in a mirrored storage pool (Mirror mode), equivalent to software RAID1. The figure below shows the creation of two storage pools, one called a 4TB storage pool (with a capacity of 7.28TB). A 4TB_NAS virtual disk was built on it with a mirrored layout (capacity of 3.64TB), and all space is allocated to volume D.
(B) Storage Pool Settings
1. Understanding Storage Pools
What exactly is a storage pool? Microsoft introduced practical storage pool technology starting with Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. The basic idea is to completely separate physical disks from logical disks, allowing the system to automatically manage the underlying storage. It’s essentially a form of storage virtualization. For users with many hard drives, this offers great flexibility.
2. Advantages of Storage Pools
(1) Excellent Flexibility: Overcomes various limitations of RAID (speeds are discussed separately). Easily add or remove hard drives by simply adding a new one to the pool or removing an old one. The system automatically balances and rebuilds the pool.
(2) No Strict Disk Consistency Required: RAID arrays usually require identical disks, but storage pools allow mixing different types and capacities of disks—such as internal SATA, external USB, or network-attached storage. This is very convenient, especially when using USB drives.
(3) Strong Mobility: Inserting a hard disk into a computer with an existing storage pool, as long as the Windows version supports the feature, it should work. Even if the disk is plugged in just enough to read, it can still be recognized. Note: Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 are first-generation storage pools. Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 are second-generation. First-gen pools can be recognized by second-gen systems and upgraded, but second-gen pools cannot be recognized by first-gen systems. There may also be slight differences within the same generation.
3. Steps to Create the Data Disk
Simply put, a physical hard disk is added to a storage pool. Then, a virtual disk is created within the pool (you can choose Simple/Mirror/Parity, similar to RAID0/RAID1/RAID5). Finally, the disk is partitioned (the C/D/E drives we see). Multiple pools, virtual disks, and partitions can be set up in a single system.
(1) Creating a New Storage Pool: Open Server Manager → File and Storage Services → Volumes → Storage Pools. If there are disks available for the pool, a "Primordial" pool will appear. Right-click "Primordial" and select "New Storage Pool," then choose the physical disks to include. You can add more disks to the pool at any time.
Note: Disks intended for the storage pool must have no partitions; otherwise, they can't be added. You can see an external USB drive being added to the pool. If you want to add an old disk with partitions, delete the partition first.
Warning: Be careful not to select the wrong disk, as it could lead to serious consequences.
If there are multiple disks, you can select one as a hot spare to replace a failed disk.
(2) Creating a New Virtual Disk: Open Server Manager → File and Storage Services → Volumes → Storage Pools. Select the storage pool, then right-click and choose "New Virtual Disk." Follow the prompts to name the disk, choose whether to create a storage layer (requires SSD), select the data layout (Simple/Mirror/Parity), and enter the disk capacity. The figure below shows that only one disk in the pool was chosen for Parity, indicating insufficient physical disks.
(3) Creating a New Volume (Partition): Open Server Manager → File and Storage Services → Volumes → Disks. Select the virtual disk, then right-click and choose "New Volume" to follow the usual partition process.
The figure below shows a storage pool named DSM built with a 300GB hard disk. On it, a simple layout virtual disk named DSM_QUN (only one disk, so Simple layout) was created, and all 300GB space was allocated to volume E.
(C) Repairing the Storage Pool
I thought about whether to include a repair section, but I felt it was quite complex. For beginners, it might be confusing, and limited space makes it hard to explain. I also looked up information online and gradually figured it out myself. Some views may not be accurate, so please correct me if needed.
Considering that this was my first time using a storage pool, I wanted to know how to fix it if a disk failed (for Mirroring), whether it would auto-repair or require manual steps. Before installing Synology, I tested the storage pool repair function. Since I didn’t have extra disks, I used a USB removable drive and a virtual machine for testing.
1. Simulating a Storage Pool Failure
(1) Build a Windows 2012 environment in a virtual machine. Create three 10GB virtual disks (no partitions) and pass them directly to the VM.
(2) In the Windows 2012 VM, select two 10GB disks to join a storage pool named NAS. Create a Mirror-type virtual disk named TEMP with a capacity of 30GB (yes, the virtual disk can be larger than the pool's capacity, which is a feature of separating physical and logical storage). Allocate all 30GB to drive F.
(3) Copy a 3GB video file to drive F.
(4) Close the VM, delete one of the virtual disks from the pool to simulate a failure.
(5) Restart the VM, open Server Manager → File and Storage Services → Volumes → Storage Pools. The virtual disk is now degraded, and one physical disk shows communication loss.
Test the video file on drive F: it can still be read and copied, showing that the Mirror is working.
2. Repairing the Storage Pool Failure (First Attempt Failed)
(1) Add a new physical disk, PhysicalDisk2, to the storage pool. Don’t delete the failed disk until the virtual disk is repaired.
(2) Compare the space usage between the old and new disks before repair. The new disk was 256MB, while the old one was 4.25GB. After repair, check the capacity comparison to verify success.
(3) Use the Virtual Disk Repair Function: Select the degraded virtual disk TEMP, right-click, and choose "Repair Virtual Disk." The status bar will show the repair progress.
(4) Storage Pool Repair Failed
The virtual disk TEMP still shows a warning. The message is incomplete, suggesting the repair failed. I tested it multiple times with both VMs and physical machines, and the results were the same. I think it might be a bug. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
(5) Space Comparison After a Failed Repair
After the repair fails, the space used on the two mirrored disks isn’t equal. The new disk increased from 256MB to 768MB, far less than the 4.25GB used on the original disk. This confirms the repair was unsuccessful.
3. Successfully Repairing the Storage Pool Failure
(1) New Idea for Fixing
After testing and researching, I found that the failed disk needed to be in “Auto†mode before repair. When I changed its status to “Exit,†the repair succeeded.
(2) Command to Change Physical Disk Status
In the GUI, you can’t change the disk status to “Exit.†You must use PowerShell:
Set-PhysicalDisk -FriendlyName PhysicalDisk-1 -Usage Retired, where PhysicalDisk-1 is the name of the failed disk. The figure below shows how to view and modify the disk status.
In the GUI, the failed disk now shows “Exitted.â€
(3) Repair the Virtual Disk Again
Select the virtual disk TEMP and right-click to repair it. The warning message changes to “Service in progress,†and the status becomes “Repairing.†The progress is shown.
You can also check the repair progress via the command line.
After repair, the virtual disk TEMP has no warning, but the storage pool NAS still shows a warning because the failed disk hasn’t been deleted yet.
(4) Repair the Storage Pool
After deleting the failed disk, the storage pool NAS warning disappears, and the pool is fully restored.
Fourth, Remote Desktop Software for the Windows System
The remote desktop for Windows has PC and mobile versions. Controlling the remote device is just like using the local machine, and the experience is excellent. When I installed the VM, I used the mobile remote desktop to control it, and it was very convenient to use a mouse.
Conclusion
1. HP's IP tools are powerful. They integrate drivers for all major systems and enable fast, remote, and non-intrusive system installation without needing a disc.
2. Windows Server 2012’s built-in storage pool technology separates physical and logical disks, allowing the system to automatically handle the underlying storage. It offers high flexibility and stability.
3. Simulating and repairing a storage pool failure is still challenging for ordinary users.
4. The remote desktop for Windows is very convenient. It has full-platform versions for PCs and mobile devices, enabling remote control anytime, anywhere.
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