Overview
This lecture covers the main features, use cases, and technical requirements for the Server Message Block (SMB) 3.0 protocol introduced in Windows Server 2012, emphasizing its key enhancements and practical benefits.
SMB Protocol Basics
- SMB is a network file sharing protocol allowing applications to access and manage files on remote servers.
- Works over TCP/IP or other network protocols to enable remote resource access.
Practical Uses for SMB 3.0
- Hyper-V can store virtual machine files on SMB 3.0 file shares, supporting both standalone and clustered servers.
- SQL Server 2008 R2 supports hosting user database files on SMB file shares, with cluster support coming in later versions.
- Enhances end-user data storage by reducing app latency and improving data security for branch offices.
New and Updated SMB 3.0 Features
- SMB Transparent Failover lets admins maintain clustered file servers without interrupting applications; supports automatic reconnect during failures.
- SMB Scale Out provides simultaneous file access and load balancing using CSV, improving performance for clustered servers.
- SMB Multichannel aggregates network bandwidth and provides fault tolerance across multiple network paths by default.
- SMB Direct leverages RDMA-capable network adapters for low-latency, high-speed file access with minimal CPU usage.
- Performance Counters offer detailed metrics (throughput, latency, IOPS) per share to monitor and optimize server app performance.
- Performance optimizations improve small random I/O and enable large MTU by default for faster large file transfers.
- SMB-specific Windows PowerShell cmdlets allow server-side file share management via the command line.
- SMB Encryption provides end-to-end file share encryption without need for IPsec or extra hardware, configurable per share or server.
- SMB Directory Leasing uses directory leases to reduce latency for branch offices by caching metadata and ensuring cache coherency.
SMB 3.0 Feature Requirements
- SMB Transparent Failover requires a Windows Server 2012 failover cluster with Continuous Availability shares on CSV volumes; client PCs must run Windows 8/Server 2012 for full benefits.
- SMB Multichannel and SMB Direct require at least two Windows Server 2012 computers; SMB Direct additionally needs RDMA-capable adapters (iWARP, Infiniband, or RoCE).
Key Terms & Definitions
- SMB (Server Message Block) — A protocol for sharing files and resources over a network.
- RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) — A technology that allows direct memory access from one computer to another with minimal CPU use.
- CSV (Cluster Shared Volumes) — Shared disk volumes that enable simultaneous access by nodes in a cluster.
- Continuous Availability (CA) — File share property ensuring uninterrupted access during server failover.
- SMB Multichannel — Feature aggregating bandwidth and ensuring network fault tolerance.
- SMB Encryption — End-to-end encryption of network file transfers to prevent eavesdropping.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review related online resources for SMB deployment, configuration, and troubleshooting as listed in the overview.
- Ensure understanding of hardware and OS requirements for each new SMB feature.