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SMB

The Server Message Block (SMB) protocol is a crucial network file sharing protocol used in Windows Server environments. Below is an overview of SMB 3.0 in Windows Server 2012, including its practical applications, new features, and hardware requirements:

Feature Description:

• SMB Protocol: SMB is a network file sharing protocol allowing applications to read, write, and request services from server programs across a network.
• SMB Over TCP/IP: SMB can operate over TCP/IP or other network protocols.
• Remote Access: SMB enables applications to access files and resources on remote servers.
• SMB 3.0: Windows Server 2012 introduces SMB 3.0, an updated version of the SMB protocol.

Practical Applications:

• File Storage for Virtualization (Hyper-V over SMB): SMB 3.0 allows Hyper-V to store virtual machine files, configurations, VHD files, and snapshots in file shares over SMB 3.0. This is beneficial for both standalone and clustered file servers used with Hyper-V.
• Microsoft SQL Server over SMB: SQL Server can store user database files on SMB file shares, providing support for stand-alone and upcoming clustered SQL servers.
• Traditional Storage for End-User Data: SMB 3.0 enhances Information Worker workloads, reducing application latencies for branch office users accessing data over wide area networks (WAN) and improving data security.

New and Changed Functionality:

• SMB Transparent Failover: Enables hardware or software maintenance of clustered file servers without interrupting data storage.
• SMB Scale Out: Allows file shares to provide simultaneous access to data files through all nodes in a file server cluster.
• SMB Multichannel: Aggregates network bandwidth and provides fault tolerance.
• SMB Direct: Supports network adapters with RDMA capability, ensuring low-latency, high-speed remote file server access.
• Performance Counters: Offers detailed performance counters for SMB 3.0 file shares.
• Performance Optimizations: Enhancements for small random read/write I/O and large Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU).
• SMB-specific Windows PowerShell Cmdlets: Administrators can manage file shares from the command line.