"Dilip Naik's Inside Windows Storage is an invaluable reference for developers and customers alike and is a must-read for anyone wishing to implement Windows-based storage networking."
—Tom Clark, Director, Technical Marketing, Nishan Systems
The Windows and enterprise storage markets are converging. Migrating upwards from low-end servers, Windows is becoming a genuine platform for running mission-critical applications. The enterprise storage market is moving from high-end servers to also include medium range servers. Thanks to a slew of enterprise storage related features, Microsoft Windows storage technologies are rapidly gaining widespread acceptance. System administrators, programmers, and technical managers need to learn to appreciate and to tap the full potential of Windows enterprise storage.
Inside Windows Storage is the first book to provide a comprehensive look at new and emerging Microsoft storage technologies. The text begins with an overview of the enterprise storage industry and Windows Server architecture, including the Windows NT I/O subsystem. With that foundation in place, readers explore the ins and outs of current Windows offerings, upcoming Windows server releases, and third-party products.
Key topic coverage includes:
- Direct Attached Storage, including the new Windows Storport driver model
- Fibre Channel Storage Area Networks (SANs)
- Network Attached Storage (NAS), including the Windows NT network stack and an overview of CIFS
- Backup and restore technologies, including Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Volume Shadow Copy Service
- File systems and disk virtualization, including a detailed overview of NTFS as well as a study of Windows cluster file systems
- Storage management, including the new Windows Virtual Disk Service
- IP Storage and Infiniband
- High availability, including RAID mirroring as well as multi path I/O solutions
This extensive guide concludes by tracing Windows NT storage features as they appear in Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003, and by offering a preview of what to expect from future Windows server releases. In short, Inside Windows Storage will help IT professionals gear up for the major role that Windows servers will surely play in the future of enterprise storage.