Create the File Server

Several processes are involved in the creation of a file server. Each aspect of this installation process needs careful attention to detail.

The first place to start is with the creation of the server itself. Create a basic member server. This server is based on the server kernel, but its primary role will be file sharing. As outlined previously, it will require three disk drives: the system, the data drive, and a drive for shadow copies. Next, you'll want to install the server role on top of the kernel.

NOTE: You can also rely on Server Core for this server role, but we think Server Core should really be reserved for the hardware-based Hyper-V role. That is because the full installation offers several advantages over Server Core. First, it provides access to Server Manager and the File Server Resource Manager, something Server Core does not have. Second, it provides access to PowerShell, which lets you automate almost every single task you need to perform. Third, you can secure the full installation as much as you want through the Security Configuration Wizard. In short, there are few reasons for using Server Core in a virtual machine, especially for this role.

Install the File Server Role

Once the member server is ready, you can move on to the installation of the File Services role. Once again, you rely on the Add Roles option in Server Manager to perform this task.

1. In the Add Roles Wizard, select the File Services role. Click Next.
2. Click Next again to move to the first configuration screen for the role.
3. In Role Services, select File Server, Distributed File System, and both subsections: File Server Resource Manager and Windows Search Service. If you need to integrate with non-Windows environments, then also select Services For Network File System. Each of these options will be covered later in the tutorial. Note how the menu tree on the left of the wizard expands as you select options. Click Next.
4. In the next screen, select Create A Namespace Later Using The DFS Management snap-in In Server Manager. Click Next.
5. In Storage Monitoring, select drive D: and click the Options button.
6. Select each of the monitoring thresholds you want to monitor. As you can see, several canned reports are available. The threshold is 85 percent. You can modify this if you think it is too high. Click OK, then click Next.
7. Under Report Options, store the reports on drive E:\StorageReports, select the Receive Reports By E-mail option, and enter the e-mail addresses to send to as well as the name of the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server to use. Click Next.
   CAUTION: If you use Microsoft Exchange Server as the SMTP server, make sure you include the name of this server in the allowed senders list under the SMTP Relay options.
8. Under Volumes To Index, select drive D: and click Next.
9. Under Confirmation, review your choices and click Install. Use the Previous button if you need to modify your choices.
10. Click Close when the installation is complete.