Configure Storage Space - MS Windows Server 2012

Storage Space is a new feature in Server 2012 and Windows 8 operating systems. The fundamental concept of storage space is, it pools physical disks together and make it look like a single disk to the operating system. You can add any type and size of physical disks to the pool and create resilient disk. Storage space works on both NTFS (New Technology File System) and ReFS (Resilient File System) volume. So, let’s configure storage space in Server 2012. There are four simple steps to configure storage space in server 2012. They are: –

1. Physical Disk: – The first step is to have some physical disks. You can have a minimum of one disk. But to be able to configure resiliency you need at least two or more physical disks. Physical disks are used to create storage pools. 
2. Storage Pool: – In storage pool, physical disks are grouped. To add physical disks to storage pool, the disk must not be formatted and must not be associated with other storage pool. Storage pools are used to create virtual disk (storage space).
3. Virtual Disk (Storage Space): – These are the disk that will be used by the operating system or user after creating volumes of the disk. Virtual disk can be fixed or thin provision. In thin provisioning, disk spaces are added as required on the run. But in thick provisioning, storage capacity is fixed and is allocated while creating the virtual disk.
4. Disk Drive: – These are the volumes or partitions created on virtual disks. These disks are shown in My Computer with drive letter.

To configure storage space, Storage Services server role must be installed. This server role is installed by default in Server 2012.

As you can see below, I have two new physical disks, disk 1 and disk 2. We will combine these two disks and create some storage pools. Remember, after initializing the disks do not format it.

Step 1: Create Storage Pool

To create storage pool open Server Manager. Click File and Storage Services on the left pane. Then click Storage Pools from the pane. On Storage Pool pane, click Tasks and click New Storage Pool.

New Storage Pool Wizard pops up. In the Before you begin page, click Next. Here, type the name of the storage pool and a little description. Click Next again.

Now select the available physical disks. Click Next.

Review the settings and click Create.

Click Close after the wizard finishes the configuration. We have successfully created the storage pool called StoragePool1.

Step 2: Create Virtual Disk

On the virtual disks pane, click Tasks and select New Virtual Disk.

New virtual disk wizard pops up. Click Next on before you begin page. Choose the available storage pool from which virtual disk will be created. I will choose the pool that I created earlier.

Now type the name and description for virtual disk. Click Next.

Choose the storage layout. Here, I will choose simple. In simple virtual disk data is striped across physical disks and does not provide fault tolerance. Now click Next.

Select the provisioning type. I will choose thin provisioning because thin provisioning is more efficient and economic. Click Next.

Specify the size of virtual disk. I will specify 15 GB and click Next.

Review the settings and click Create to create the virtual disk.

Now view the result. Check the option, Create a volume when this wizard closes. Click Close.

Create a new volume wizard pops up. Click Next on Before you begin wizard. On Server and Disk window, select server and disk and click Next.

Step 3: Create Volume

Specify the size of the volume. I will specify 8 GB. We can later create another volume from remaining space from the same disk. Click Next.

Specify the drive letter and click Next.

Specify the File System Settings. Select the file system and type volume label.

Review the configuration and click Create.

You will now see new 8 GB volume in My Computer.

In this way, you can configure storage space in Server 2012.

Create Shared Mailbox - MS Exchange 2016

Shared mailbox can be used to read and reply emails of same mailbox by multiple user. For example, support@company.com, info@company.com, etc. In shared mailbox, the user account is disabled and user can’t login to mailbox directly. You can only login to shared mailbox using another mailbox that have required permission to access the shared mailbox.

There are three different types of permission that can be provided to users in order to access shared mailboxes. They are: –

1. Full Access: Users that have full access permission have full control of shared mailbox. User can manage emails, calendars, etc. but can’t send emails unless they also have send as or send on behalf permission.
2. Send As: Users can send emails as if they are logged in with shared mailbox account. The recipient will see the email is coming from shared mailbox.
3. Send on Behalf: Users can send emails on behalf of shared mailbox. For example, if JWalda@mustbegeek.com sends email to a recipient the recipient will see the email was sent by “JWalda on behalf of info@mustbegeek.com”. You can’t assgn Send on Behalf permission using EAC, you have to use Exchange Management Shell. Set-Mailbox cmdlet with the GrantSendonBehalf parameter. 

I will create a shared mailbox called info@mustbegeek.com and provide two users with full access and send as permission so that they can read and reply emails using shared mailbox. Log on to Exchange Admin Center. Click recipients in the features pane. Select shared tab.

 Click + “Add” to create new shared mailbox.

Type display name of the shared mailbox. Type alias name. Under users, click + “Add” to assign permission for other mailboxes so that they can access this shared mailbox.

Select mailbox users and click add. Here I have selected two users, Denis Mathers and Diana Walda. Now, these two users can now access this shared mailbox (info@mustbegeek.com) to read and reply emails. These two users will have full access and send as permission assigned automatically. User can’t send email with just full access permission, send as or send on behalf permission is required for the user to be able to send emails using shared mailbox. Click OK. Then click save.

The shared mailbox has been created.

Here you can add or remove users from Full Access and Send As permissions. You can assign Send on Behalf permission only from Exchange Management Shell. Now, let’s check the shared mailbox. Login to outlook on the web using DWalda@mustbegeek.com user account.

Click user icon on top right corner and click open another mailbox option.

Type info@mustbegeek.com and click open.

You can now compose email using info@mustbegeek.com shared mailbox. In this way you can create shared mailbox in Exchange 2016.