Server2022 Storage Pool/Virtual Disk provisioning type coming through "unknown" and layout blank

Question

In the GUI, after creating my storage pool and moving on to setting up the virtual disk, I have run into an issue that I have never experienced before with the "provisioning type" showing up as "unknown" and the "layout" blank after creating the virtual disk and can't figure out for the life of me why this is happening. (which of course causes other issues when trying to expand the virtual disk later).

I am setting up tiered storage - have 6 SSDs and 2 HD (total 16TB available) - in a Simple storage layout and Fixed provisioning type.

Because it is in Fixed provisioning, I set up the sizes of each of the tiered storage with most of the available free space (because it's fixed, why waste, however I know that there has to be some left for disk creation and metadata).

In the confirmation window everything looks correct, but after creation, Provisioning Type shows up as "unknown" and Layout is blank.

I have vetted all disks involved by having each one run through "chkdsk /r /f", I have used CrystalDiskInfo and they are all green, I've checked the FW on all of them, etc. The disks are clear and clean.

The OS is fully updated, drivers are as current as they can be, I am using a 9503-16i non-RAID (IT mode) SAS/SATA and have even tried to use the MB controller with the exact same results.

Now if I don't do Tier/Simple/Fixed and just do Simple/Fixed, the max amount allowed is strangely 11.6TB total space available out of the 16TB total. However when set up this way, I see "provisioning type" as fixed and "layout" as simple .

At first I thought this was the answer that maybe I needed to go much smaller in order to have this work proper.
Sadly that did not resolve the issue as I tried to go SUPER small (only 2TB on SSD and 2TB on HD) and end up in the same place.

Another odd ball head scratcher is when I use PS to check the PhysicalDisk, StoragePool, VirtualDisk, and StorageTiers and they all come back clean/healthy. Not to mention when I use the following script >

Get-VirtualDisk -FriendlyName "TheGoods" | Get-StorageTier | Select-Object FriendlyName, Tierclass, mediatype, ProvisioningType, ResiliencySettingName, Paritylayout

It comes back showing the ProvisionType and ResiliencySetting(also know as Layout) are all there.

But the GUI shows there is an issue being in an "unknown" state and acts like there is an issue. If the storagepool has had a disk added (2TB) and when you try to later extend the VirtualDisk/storagetiers it will not allow you and only shows the full drive size that was created and will not extend even a GB.

So am I only now allowed to manage these through PS only and no GUI interface? What is causing this? I have had this work in 2012 and then and IPU to 2016. However a new load of 2016 this doesn't work and now with 2022 the GUI isn't working.

Would love to get to the bottom of this and why its happening.

Thank you for any advise or help.

Answer 1

Hi，

Unfortunately, you can use PowerShell only to manage the tiered virtual disks on Windows Server 2022. This appears to be a limitation of Server Manager which cannot deal with storage tiers. It is recommended to send feedback to Microsoft directly.

I get the same result with my S2D volume.

Answer 2

Hello,

Thank you for the reply. Seriously this is something that Server2022 can't deal with? That is bananas. How does MS not have this logged as an issue already?

What is the best way to send feedback (not that they will read it or care LOL)?

Answer 3

Hi,

You can send feedback to Microsoft using the FeedbackHub app.

Send feedback to Microsoft with the Feedback Hub app - Microsoft Support

Hope they can implement this feature in the next version