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Windows Storage Server 2008: Known Issues and Updates

  • Article

Updated: April 15, 2010

Applies To: Windows Storage Server 2008

This topic provides late-breaking information for Windows Storage Server 2008. You can find additional information on the Windows Storage Server blog.

This document contains information about the following releases:

  • Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 5

  • Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 4

  • Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 3

  • Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 2

  • Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 1

  • Windows Storage Server 2008

Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 5

Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 5 addresses the following issues:

Software Requirements:

  • Windows Storage Server 2008 (x64) Service Pack 1 (SP1) or

  • Windows Storage Server 2008 (x64) Service Pack 2 (SP2)

  • EULA Update for Windows Storage Server 2008 SP2-preinstallations (KB2121784)

    This update should be installed by OEMs in Windows Storage Server 2008 SP2-based factory images.

  • NFS services stop responding after a certain period when you use a Windows Server 2008-based server that has NFS installed to export NFS shares (KB967670)

    This update is part of Windows Storage Server 2008 SP2, but is provided here for OEMs to distribute to customers who are using Windows Storage Server 2008 with SP1 or to preload in Windows Storage Server 2008 with SP1 factory images.

  • File permissions are incorrectly set when you share a folder on a Windows Server 2008-based or Windows Storage Server 2008-based NFS server (KB2222746)

    This update is provided here for OEMs to distribute to customers who are using Windows Storage Server 2008 SP2 or to preload in Windows Storage Server 2008 with SP2 factory images.

Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 4

Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 4 contains the second update for iSCSI Software Target 3.2.

KB980597 - iSCSI Software Target 3.2 Update

Software requirements:

  • iSCSI Software Target version 3.2

  • Windows Storage Server 2008 (x64) Service Pack 2

-OR-

  • Windows Storage Server 2008 (x64) Service Pack 1 with KB954475 and KB955656 updates installed.

This update contains two packages:

  • iscsitarget_patch.msp: This is a partial upgrade that can be used for existing iSCSI installations without needing to reset current configurations.

  • iscsitarget.msi: This is a full upgrade of iSCSI Software Target 3.2 that can be used in factory images and for first-time installations

Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 3

Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 3 addresses the following important data integrity issues for computers running Windows Server 2008 issues:

  • KB958165 – NFS Stop Error This update prevents the stop error "Stop 0x000000C2" from occurring on a computer that is running Windows Server 2008 and that has the Services for Network File System (NFS) role service enabled. This error occurs when data is copied from a client to an NFS-enabled server.

  • KB972885 - Single Instance Storage (SIS) Update for the SIS-Limited driver

    This update prevents a potential data integrity issue with the SIS driver read filter when the SIS-Limited server role is enabled. This issue may arise if a SIS-enabled volume is moved using a SIS-aware backup application or by physically moving the disk the volume is on.

Note

This update applies only to computers running Windows Server 2008.

  • KB974562 - Single Instance Storage (SIS) Update for the SIS-Limited driver

    This update prevents a potential data integrity issue with the SIS driver read filter when the SIS-Limited server role is enabled. This issue may arise if a SIS-enabled volume is moved using a SIS-aware backup application or by physically moving the disk the volume is on.

Note

This update applies only to computers running Windows Server 2008 R2.

Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 2

Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 2 fixes the following issues:

  • KB971365 - Added support for GPT disks larger than 2TB

    This update supports assigning a GPT disk (greater than or equal to 2TB) to a failover cluster by using the Share and Storage Management MMC snap-in.

    A workaround is also available using Cluster.exe to set the DISKIDGUID (type will be set automatically). To set the DISKIDGUID, use the following command:

    cluster.exe res [resource name] /priv DiskIdGuid=[guid]

  • KB974564 - Single Instance Storage (SIS) Update

    This update resolves the following issues with the SIS filter driver:

    • The SIS filter incorrectly uses paged memory for copy-on-first-write requests and SI_COPY_THREAD_REQUEST.

    • SIS may corrupt link files that have data written beyond end-of-file (EOF). This update prevents the issue.

Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 1

Windows Storage Server 2008 Update 1 fixes the following issues:

  • KB968675 - Storport Update

    This update resolves the following issue:

    • An object handle may leak under certain conditions.

  • KB970662 - Single Instance Storage (SIS) Update

    This update resolves the following issues with SIS:

    • A memory leak can occur with Groveler.exe if a forced rescan is initiated.

    • There can be timing issues in SIS copy-on-first-write operations.

    • NTFS re-ordering might be incorrectly handled after a forced shutdown.

  • KB971191 - SIS links that have file sizes less than 1KB get set to normal files after restoring SIS v1 data to a SIS v2 volume.

    This issue can occur when backing up and restoring SIS files (links) that have been truncated to a length less than or equal to 1 KB from a migrated Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 SIS-enabled volume to Windows Storage Server 2008.

  • KB970825 - EULA Update for generic staging of recovery media.

    When using OEM-created Windows Storage Server 2008 SP1-based recovery media, it is possible to show an end user an outdated EULA for Windows Storage Server 2008. The actual EULA is between the OEM appliance vendor and the end user. Loading this update inside your recovery image will prevent the issue.

    There are several other options to resolve this issue that should be considered:

    • Skip the EULA by using the unattended setup XML. This will preserve the default EULA.

      <OOBE>
   <HideEulaPage>True</HideEulaPage>
   <SkipUserOOBE>True</SkipUserOOBE>
</OOBE>

    • Replace the license.rtf on the setup media with the one that is provided on the original setup media. This license text refers users to the OEM license.

    • Replace the license.rtf files with your own EULA.

    • Install Service Pack 2 for Windows Server 2008, which fixes this issue and makes this update unnecessary.

  • KB970658 – iSCSI initiator appears to fail on reconnection.

    After a lost iSCSI initiator connection is recovered, the session state displayed in iSCSI Initiator interface may continue to display "Reconnecting." This issue only applies to application servers connecting to Microsoft iSCSI Software Target using the iSCSI Initiator.

Windows Storage Server 2008

Windows Storage Server 2008 contains the following known issues:

OEM Preinstallation

These notes apply to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of Windows Storage Server 2008.

  • Reduce on-disk image sizes.

    When you stage images to be used for factory deployment, you can take the following steps to reduce image size:

    1. Delete the following build-staging files:

      • C:\build\*.*

      • C:\boot\*.*

      • C:\InstalledRepository \*.*

    2. If you pre-load Service Pack 2, run the Windows Component Clean tool as follows: compcln.exe /hide. This tool removes the SP1 binaries required to allow rollback from SP2, removes the entry from add/remove programs, and reduces the footprint. For more information about this tool, see the Windows Component Clean Tool section of the Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Deployment Guide.

  • Do not preinstall File Server Resource Manager on cluster nodes.

    File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) should not be preinstalled on storage appliances that will be part of a failover cluster.

  • There is a default password for the Windows Storage Server 2008 default install.

    By default, if you install Windows Storage Server 2008 without specifying a password in an Unattend.xml file, the password for Windows Storage Server 2008 is wSS2008!. You can use this password when you install to a remote appliance and access the administration tools by using Remote Desktop. The default Unattend.xml will install the roles and configure settings as appropriate to create a Windows Storage Server 2008 storage appliance. See the Windows Storage Server OEM Guide for additional information about unattended installation settings.

General

These notes apply to end users of Windows Storage Server 2008.

  • Events are posted when you install language packs.

    When you install a supported language pack for Windows Storage Server 2008, the language pack installs support for only the roles that are currently installed on the storage appliance. For any role that is not installed, you will see warnings posted that are similar to:

    Windows Servicing identified that package IIS-WebServer-Core-Package_fr-FR(Language Pack) is not applicable for this system

    This process may repeat when you install new roles and features because the language pack files for those components will be installed at that time. You can safely ignore the warnings for components that are not currently installed on the storage appliance.

Failover Cluster Support

These notes apply to end users of Windows Storage Server 2008.

  • Use Failover Cluster Management to create and configure a disk resource.

    If you use Share and Storage Management to provision storage for a failover cluster, you may receive a warning for the wizard task, Create and configure a cluster disk resource. If this occurs, the resulting disk resource will be assigned to a temporary resource group and be unavailable to the cluster. To workaround this issue, use Failover Cluster Management to assign the disk to the correct cluster resource group and then delete the temporary resource group that was created.

    If this warning occurs, and the disk is equal to or greater than 2TB in size, you must use Diskpart.exe to obtain the GUID of the disk and then use the following command to bring the disk online:

    cluster.exe res*[resource name]/priv DiskIdGuid=[guid]*

  • The File Server Resource Manager service must be restarted after forming a failover cluster.

    File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) may be preinstalled on the storage appliance as part of the File Services role. When the FSRM service starts, it determines whether the storage appliance is part of a cluster. If it is not in a failover cluster, FSRM places the configuration data on the system volume. Once you add the computer to a failover cluster, the FSRM service must be restarted in order to cause FSRM to reevaluate whether the computer is part of a failover cluster. When FSRM detects the presence of a failover cluster, the configuration information will be created in the cluster database. Any configurations you made using FSRM before creating the failover cluster and restarting the FSRM service will be lost, and must be recreated in the failover cluster environment. If a computer running Windows Storage Server 2008 is added to an existing failover cluster, FSRM will use the configuration data already present in the cluster database.

  • You cannot extend volumes by using Disk Management.

    The option to extend a volume on a failover cluster is unavailable in Disk Management for volumes other than the system volume. To extend volumes, use the Diskpart.exe utility.

Single Instance Storage (SIS)

These notes apply to end users of Windows Storage Server 2008.

  • SIS should not be used on sensitive data.

    For information on this issue, see Knowledge Base article KB969199.

  • SIS and FSRM may display incorrect disk space.

    If SIS is enabled on a volume, File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) may incorrectly report the amount of disk space usage on that volume for a user. This disparity is because files might be migrating to the SIS Common Store.

  • Cannot install SIS on a volume without a mount point.

    If you install SIS on a volume without a mount point (such as a drive letter or folder mount point) the operation will fail while incorrectly displaying a message similar to the following:

    SIS has been initialized on volume '\\?\Volume{f2eb8acf-0ad7-49b3-bd92-b93ce5680c85}\'. Restarting the Groveler service ...

    To resolve this situation, assign a valid mount point to the volume before enabling SIS for the volume.

  • Groveler service may not recognize a volume after the drive letter changes.

    SIS requires that all volumes that are using SIS be assigned either a drive letter or a folder mount point. If you use Disk Management to change the mount point or drive letter of a SIS volume, the Groveler service may fail to immediately recognize the new configuration. The Groveler service should adapt to the change within an hour and restore full functionality. To correct the issue, use the sisadmin.exe /I command.

  • Data corruption is possible while uninstalling SIS where antivirus software is installed.

    There is a possibility of data corruption in some scenarios where data is read from and written to a volume that is protected by antivirus software. The issue may occur when SIS is removed from the volume and the files are restored from the SIS Common Store. You should disable antivirus protection prior to disabling SIS, and then re-enable antivirus once the operation is complete.