Business Storage Windows Server NAS - How to create a new storage space volume

Create your own storage volume on your Business Storage Windows Server NAS or you may need to recreate the existing storage volume on the unit.
At some point, you may want to create your own storage volume on your Business Storage Windows Server NAS or you may need to recreate the existing storage volume on the unit (after a factory reset, for example).

To do this, follow the below instructions:

Step 1: Creating a Storage Pool
Create a Storage Pool from SATA, USM, or USB Drives:

  1. Make sure all physical disks needed for the pool are installed.
  2. Go to Server Manager > File and Storage Services > Volumes > Storage Pools.
  3. Right-click in the window and select “New Storage Pool”.
Server manager screen image
  1. Click “Next”.
  2. Type a name and description.
  3. Choose the NAS.
  4. Click “Next”.
    Screen shot showing name and description, choose NAS and next
  5. Check the disks you want for the Pool.
  6. Choose whether you want the drive to be automatically configured or designate it as a Hot Spare (to immediately replace a failed drive).
  7. Click “Next”.
    Screen shot of the disks you want to pool, allocation, and next
  8. Select "Create".
    Screen shot of the create button
  9. Your new Storage Pool should show in Server Manager.

    Screen shot of the storage pool added

 

Step 2: Create a Storage Space
Create a Storage Space (Virtual Drive) Using the Storage Pool:

  1. Right-click on the Storage Pool you would like to use for the Virtual Disk and select New Virtual Disk.Screen shot of storage pool for vitual disk
  2. Click “Next”.
  3. Select the Storage Pool and click “Next”.
Image of storage pool with name selected
  1. Type in a Name for the Volume and a Description.
  2. Click “Next”.
    Screen shot of the storage pool and next button
  3. Choose the Layout (Simple [Striped], Mirror, Parity [Similar to RAID-5]).
  4. Click “Next”.
    Screen shot of the layout options
  5. Choose Thin or Fixed provisioning.
    • Thin: Uses space, as needed, from the storage pool. Drives can be added to the storage pool and that space would be available for the thinly provisioned virtual disk.
    • Fixed: Choose a set amount of space from the pool for the volume. Data usage can’t go over that.
  6. Click “Next”.
Screen shot showing a provisioning selection
  1. Choose the Size of the virtual disk.
  • Note that for thin-provisioned drives, you can set the capacity to larger than you have in the pool at the moment.
  1. Click “Next”.
Screen shot to specify the size
  1. Then select Create on the next screen.

 

Step 3: Create a Volume on the Virtual Drive
The New Volume Wizard Appears After Virtual Disk Creation:

  1. Click “Next”.
Screen shot of the new volume wizard
  1. Select the Server and the virtual disk, which will be using this partition, and click "Next".
    Screen shot showing option of server or virtual machine
  2. Choose the Size (capacity) and click "Next".
    Screen shot showing capacity
  3. Choose the Drive letter or folder and click "Next".
    Screen shot showing drive letter
  4. Choose the File system settings, and click "Next".
    Screen shot showing the file system settings
  5. Select Create on the confirmation screen.