In this article, we will discover how to install and configure iSCSI Target on Windows Server 2022. The Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) and iSCSI Target Server allow you to boot multiple systems from a single operating system image. It allows block-level access to storage appliances by carrying SCSI commands over a TCP/IP network. The iSCSI target is the storage on a remote location, which seems to be the host computer (iSCSI initiator) as a local drive.
I have created 2 virtual machines on my VMware workstation to disclose the deployment process. I have installed Windows Server 2022 on the virtual machines. Below is the configuration of the virtual machines.
Name
Role
Operating System
IP Address
WS2022-DC
iSCSI initiator
Windows Server 2022
192.168.241.100
SAN.xpertstec.local
iSCSI Target Server
192.168.241.102
To create an iSCSI server, we need to install the iSCSI server role.
Create and Configure iSCSI Target Server Role
To configure the iSCSI target server, we must install the File and iSCSI Services roles on our Windows Server. Open Server Manager and click on the Add Roles and Features link.
Click next
We need to install the iSCSI service on our virtual machine. Therefore, select role-based or feature-based installation, and then click on Next.
We need to install the iSCSI services on SAN.xpertstec.local. Click next.
Here, we need to install File and iSCSI Services. Expand the File and Storage Services option and then expand File and iSCSI Services. Tick iSCSI Target Server
Click on Add Features.
After selecting the iSCSI target role, click next.
Click next
Click install
iSCSI installation is complete; click on Close.
The iSCSI target server role has been installed successfully. Click on File and Storage Services.
Creating iSCSI Virtual Disks
The iSCSI target server has been created; let us create an iSCSI virtual disk. Click on iSCSI, and then on the right side, select Start the new iSCSI virtual disk wizard
In the new iSCSI disk wizard, click on the Select iSCSI virtual disk location; select the location of the virtual disk. If you have already installed the iSCSI Target Server role on multiple servers, you can select the server from the list. The record of servers with the iSCSI target role installed will remain automatically under the Servers box. Select the volume checkbox and select the custom path under the Type a custom path option. I will construct a virtual disk on the C drive of SAN.xpertstec.local. Click next
On the iSCSI virtual disk name screen, enter a unique name and click Next.
On the iSCSI virtual disk size screen, we can specify the size of the virtual disk. Enter the disk size, select Dynamically expanding, and then click next.
iSCSI target screen, select the New iSCSI target checkbox, then click Next.
For the target name and access screen, type a name and click next.
Specify Access Servers
Click the Add button on the Specify Server Access screen to add the iSCSI initiators.
By default, the iSCSI initiator can’t connect to the target server. We need to install/enable iSCSI initiators. To connect to the iSCSI target server, click on the browse button.
Type the name of the system where you want to connect the iSCSI target, and then click OK.
Click ok.
Now that the initiator has successfully added to the list, click on next.
You can enable CHAP or reverse CHAP if required; click on Next.
Select Create to create an iSCSI virtual disk.
The disk has been created successfully. Click close
We can now see the list of iSCSI virtual disks in the server manager.
Summary
In this blog, I have explained how to install and configure the iSCSI Target Server on Windows Server 2022. In my next blog, I will describe how to connect the iSCSI initiator and use it to connect to the iSCSI virtual disk.
A VHD Virtual Hard Disk Recovery file is just like a physical hard drive that has elements like, file systems, disk partitions a boot record, saved data, etc. Loss or corruption of one such file means losing the entire data stored on the VHD. Here is everything you may want to know about how to recover or repair VHD Files.
Virtual Hard Disk Just like physical hard drives, VHD files are at risk for accidental deletion, corruption, virus attacks, and other reasons of data loss. The ability to restore data from a VHD image could be very valuable.
Step by step attach and Copy files from a VHD
I needed some important files that I had backed up as a WindowsImageBackup to the external drive. The only option I could retrieve data from my external disk was buried in system images that I had created. You might think my only way is to restore those system images.
VHD Virtual Hard Disk Recovery Mount a VHD File in Windows
Please make sure you have your VHD file accessible. Right-click on the Windows start button and then select Disk Management.
Select the Action menu and then Attach VHD.
Select browse button.
Browse the location of your VHD file. I am using a VHD file stored as a Windows System Image.
The virtual hard disk file is then mounted in Disk Management, just as a physical drive.
Browse your VHD disk volume to see your data.
When you have done using the VHD, simply right click on VHD disk and then select Detach VHD.
What to do if your VHD is not assigned a drive letter
Sometimes your VHD might not have a drive letter assigned when you attach it, especially if it is the first time you are attaching the file. Right-click the VHD and then select change drive letter and paths.
Click Add button.
Choose the radio box Assign the following drive letter and then select in the drive letter list box. Choose an available drive letter and then click ok twice.
In this article, we will see how to Migrate Active Directory Server 2019 to Server 2022. In the previous article, I configured an additional domain controller on Windows Server 2022. I will now upgrade the Active Directory to Windows Server 2022 and raise the functional level.
One new virtual machine with Windows Server 2022 OS has been installed in order to make smooth migration. Once migration is completed, Windows Server 2019 domain controllers will be decommissioned.
The Domain Controller server is running on Windows Server 2019 OS and name called WS2019-DC. The domain name is xpertstec.local
Steps to Migrate Domain Controller Server 2019 to Server 2022
In this article, I will explain how to fix NetFx3 error while installing SQL Server. While Installing SQL Server 2014 on Windows Server 2012 R2 I have received the below error, which indicates .Net 3.5 is not installed on this machine. We were installing SQL Server 2014 on a Windows Server 12 virtual machine, and the installation was already in progress when we received the following error:
Due to development challenges, people still use SQL 2014 in production. In these cases, one of my clients told me that their application vendor hasn’t approved SQL 2014 and above, so they were forced to install SQL 2014. In windows server 2012 R2 .Net framework 3.5 do not install by default.
Fix NetFx3 Error
Let’s have a look at how to install .Net 3.5 on Windows Server 2012. As per the error message in the pic above, we need to enable NetFx3. It means .Net Framework in the Server Manager.
It will new window, click Next.
Choose Role-based or feature based installation and then choose next.
Click next
Select Server from the pool.
Choose .Net Framework 3.5 Feature and click next.
If your server doesn’t have all the files which were supposed to add this .netframework, then on the next screen you might see the warning. This is the reason why SQL Setup was unable to install the feature. So, you need to alternative the alternative source path. This needs to be from the Server 2012 installation media.
Click on Specify an alternate source path.
Find windows media directory and go to Source\sxs path Mine is installed in D:\ (Maybe you have a different drive) so for me it’s D:\Source\sxs Provide directory path and then click OK.
Select Install
It will take a while and then your installation is done.
You can use enable .netfex3 error by using below command dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /source:D:\sources\sxs
In this blog, we are going to explain how to change server name in server 2022. This article was automatically translated, if you have feedback concerning its feature please use the comment form at the bottom of the page.
In this today’s blog, I will explain to you how to change your server name in Windows Server 2022 using the server settings menu, Control Panel, Server Manager, Command Prompt, and PowerShell. You can return your computer back to default by noting down the name and following these steps again. Let’s get started.
Prerequisites
Virtual Machine, Hyper-V, or a dedicated server with Windows Server 2022 installed. Logged in with administrator account.
Changing the Hostname
Right mouse clicks on This PC and then click on Properties.
Under About, click on rename this PC.
Rename your PC window, type a name (Server2022) and then click next.
Select restart now
Choose a reason to describe the reboot and then click continue.
Change Server name using Server Manager
Launch Server Manager, from your left side, click on local server and then click on computer name.
System properties, click on the change button.
Now insert the server name under the computer name you wish to change it to and then click ok.
To apply the changes you need to restart your system. Click on ok to restart your computer.
Select ok
Click on Restart Now
Now your server name is changed after restarted.
How to Change Server Name using CMD
If you’d prefer to change the server name using the command line, CMD is also an option. This way is easier, quicker, and is helpful if you have no access to GUI, on a Windows Server install for an instant.
We can rename a server computer from the command prompt using WMIC computersystem command.
After applying this command, you need to restart the server to make the changes effective.
How to Change Server Name using PowerShell
Additionally, you can use a PowerShell command to change the server name if you are more comfortable with the PowerShell. Right-click on the server Start button, then select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
Type the PowerShell change server name command
Type the following PowerShell command in the PowerShell window and then hit enter, substituting Server2022 with your preferred name.
Rename-Computer -NewName “Server2022”
Server restart required changes to take effect.
Conclusion
That’s all, you have learned how to change the hostname on Windows Server 2022.
In this blog, I will show you how to enable desktop icon settings in Windows Server. Windows Server 2019 desktop icons such as This PC (My Computer), Windows can’t access the specified path, device, or file.
As with usual versions of Microsoft Windows, the Windows desktop appears to be pretty sparse. By default, the only recycle bi icon appears on the desktop – making navigation slightly more difficult when browsing your files / removable drives, etc.
As you can see, the lonely Recycle Bin is to the top left.
Enabling Desktop Icons Settings
Open the control panel and then click on Taskbar and navigation Or Right-click on your Server desktop and then choose to personalize
When the Windows Settings window appears then click on Themes on the left.
Scroll down and then select Desktop icon settings
Select the desktop icons checkbox and then click ok.
If you see the error Windows “cannot access the specified device”, path, or file. You may not have the “appropriate permissions” to access the item.
The very easiest way to resolve this error
Open run command, type desk.cpl ,5, and then hit enter.
Now you can select which icons you want to appear on your Windows Server desktop. Tick the relevant boxes for any icons you wish to have.
Your chosen icons are now available on the desktop
In this article, I will explain how to delete thumbs.db file in Windows Explorer. We sometimes received an error that you can’t delete the file. The action can’t be completed because of the file open by the system. When multiple users are logged in on the Windows server they may have opened the files or sometimes those files are supporting other programs or files for some operations.
In Server 2012 fix the action can’t be completed because the file is open by the system
When we check in task manager we might not able to find those files opened and gets a hard time deleting them.
Sometimes we need to reboot the computer to delete these types of files but in a case of a Windows server, we can’t reboot the server.
It will show you all of the Windows Server-related information. Now expand the Shared Folders, where you will find three more folders under Shared Folders, click on the Open Files folder. It will show you all of the files being open by users logged on the server or who have been disconnected from the server login session but the files are open.
Search for the file in the list you wanted to remove but were unable to remove the file. In my case, it is a thumb.db that is under a folder. In the open files list, right-click open file or folder where the file we want to delete is listed. It will open up a menu and give you the option to delete the file. Click on Close Open File.
Delete Thumbs.db file
Now go back to the original location where the file was placed and you wish to delete it. Right-click on the file and then select delete. The file will get deleted.
Watch Video: How to Delete thumbs.db File in Windows Explorer
Let’s see how to fix error 28173 by installing VMWare vSphere Client 6.0. When installing VMware vSphere Client 6.0 (VMware-viclient-all-6.0.0-5112508) on a Windows Server 2012, server you might get this Error 28173, setup failed to enable Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5. This guide will provide you information on these issues where VMware Client 6.0 fails to install on Windows Server 2012 with the error 28173.
The Error 28173, Setup failed has to enable Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 quote to Microsoft KB article 2734782 and 3002547 which may help you to resolve the issue .NET framework failure. You will need to enable this Windows feature in Server Manager before installing the vSphere Client.
This is caused because one of the VMware clients installs requirements .Net Framework 3.5 is missing. To resolve this issue, open Server Manager and click Add roles and features.
Add roles and features, select next.
Choose Role-based or feature-based option and then click Next.
Select the radio button “a server from the server pool” and then click Next.
Let’s have a look at how to fix the error .Net Framework 3.5 Features Installation Fails – Source Files Could Not Be Found in Windows Server 2012 while installing Server roles and features. This article helps you to fix Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 installation errors.
Issue
Installing .NET Framework 3.5 Feature add Roles and Features Wizard on the Windows Server 2012 fails with an error.
.NET Framework 3.5 Feature Installation fails
Installation of Server Add role, features) one or more roles, role services, or features failed.
The source files could not be found. Trying Server roles installation, Add role services or Add features again in a new wizard of Add Roles and Features session, and on the Confirmation installation selection page of the wizard, select Specify an alternate source path to specify the right location of the Server source files that are required for the .net framework installation. The destination must be approachable by the computer account of the location server.
Cause
The error happened because the required Server source files were not copied to the computer during the starting Windows Server OS installation. Insert Windows Server 2012 installation disk into your server’s DVD drive (or mount an ISO file). Close Add roles and feature wizard.
After closing Add roles and feature wizard, Start the Roles and Features Wizard again.
Select Role-based or feature-based installation, so click next.
Server selection, a server from the server pool, and then click Next.
Server Roles, click next.
Select.NET Framework 3.5 features and then click next.
On the confirm installation selection page, click Specify an alternative source path.
In the Specify Alternate Source Path windows enter your Windows Serer Drive path D:\sources\sxs where D: is your DVD disk drive letter. And then click the ok button.
Now .NET Framework 3.5 Feature installation has successfully been completed.
In this guide, we will look at bare metal recovery Windows Server 2022 and how to recover the system using Windows Server disk. The Windows Recovery Environment is used to start a Windows server so you can restore system repairs or recovery.
Typically the procedure of bare metal recovery includes the restoration of a system image backup using an ISO image file or a USB drive that you boot on your system to perform a restore. If you are looking for a rapid and easy method to perform a bare metal restore, so you are in the right place. This article will look at correctly what is bare metal restoration and explain a few different recovery techniques.
To recover a server, first, we need to boot into recovery conditions, which are used to locate the system back up and start the recovery process. The particular recovery steps will depend on the operating system and software system you use.
How to perform a system recovery using WinRE
Boot your Windows server from the Windows Server DVD or Bootable USB Disk. Specify your language and time to install and then click next.
Click on Repair your computer and WinRE will launch.
Click on Troubleshoot option.
Under advanced options, click on system image recovery.
Select restore your system using a system image that you have created earlier. Click on next and then the computer will search for a backup image. If you tick the select a system image box, select the backup that you want to use.
Select to Use the most recent system image (recommended) or you can select a system image and then click next.
Click on date and time, and click next.
Choose additional restore options, and click next.
Select the Finish button to start the bare metal recovery.
Once prompted to start the recovery process, click yes.
Now Windows is restoring computers.
After restoring the Windows Server 2022 OS image, your server will restart automatically.
Here, we have a look at how to install Active Directory in Windows Server 2022. We are going to show you the Domain controller installation and configuration of Active Directory domain services Role in Windows Server 2022 and promote Windows Server 2022 as a Domain Controller. First, I will show you how to install the ADDS binaries and then 2nd promote Windows Server 2022 to a Domain Controller.
The Windows Server 2022 operating system is the latest and often advanced Windows Server OS to date. Microsoft has constantly been making their Server operating system more cloud base with a lot of Azure features incorporated into the operating system natively. Using the new features and capabilities untied using Windows Admin Center, New Windows Server 2022 will have the most direct integration with Microsoft Azure of any server OS.
Microsoft is surely wanting to get everybody focused on Azure. The new combination with Azure makes Windows Server 2022 a simple way that customers get a powerful on-premises OS with all the Azure bells and whistles offered by Microsoft and unlocked potential with Windows Admin Center.
Before you start, verify that the following things have been completed.
Change Computer Name
Change the computer name or server name, easy to an understandable format. (In this Example: Server name: Server2022, Active Directory Server) In the Network settings, use a static IP address is configuration is best practice.
How to Install Active Directory Domain Services
We are going to install an active directory & domain controller. It’s will be a physical computer or a virtual machine.
Once you changed the computer name and assign a static IP address to the server. Launch the Server Manager, click on Dashboard and then click on Add Roles and Features.
Add roles and features wizard, select next.
Installation type, select the radio button Role-based or feature-based installation, and then click on next.
In the Select destination server option, choose the option Select a server from the server pool and then click on next. In the image below you can see what servers are available, select the one you wish to install the active directory on.
Choose server roles window, I am going to install Active Directory so I am selecting Active Directory Domain Services roles.
Click on Add features button to add features that are required for Active Directory Domain Services.
Domain Name Server (AD & DNS)
In the Select one more role to install wizard, select the DNS Server role name. We need to install and configure Active Directory and DNS server roles to work together.
Click on Add Features button to add features that are required for the DNS server including management tools.
Please ensure the Active Directory Domain Services and DNS Server options are selected and then click on next.
Choose the checkbox .NET Framework 3.5 Features and then click on the next option to continue.
Active directory domain services, click next.
DNS Server option click next.
Click the next button to start the active directory and DNS server installation.
Insert the windows server 2022 installation media or mount the Server 2022 ISO file as a drive. Then go to the location of the source path drive letter\sources\sxs. (My drive letter is D:\sources\sxs). Copy the path D:\srouce\sxs
Then paste the copied path in the path option or type manually. Then click on the ok and select the Install button to continue.
Click Install.
Active Directory and DNS server feature installation are in progress.
The Active Directory and DNS server installation process has been completed. Click close.
Promote Server to a Domain Controller
How to Configure DNS (Domain Name System)
How to deploy and configure the Domain Controller 2022. In the Server Manager click on the notification button and then click on Promote this server to a domain controller.
Active Directory Domain Services Configuration, deployment configuration. Now we are going to install new forest and new domain. Select Add a new forest checkbox and then specify the domain information for this operation. Type your domain name next to the root domain name and then click on next. (Example: xpertstec.local you can use xpertstec.com).
Domain controller options, select the forest functional level and domain functional level as per your requirement. Specify domain controller capabilities. Domain name system (DNS) server selected Global Catalog (GC) selected Type Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) password and then select Next.
DNS Options windows, select next.
Verify the NetBIOS domain name. Mostly, it’s automatically picked from your domain name related. Then click next
Specify the location of the AD DS database, Database folder Log files folder SYSVOL folder Keep it is as it is and click next.
Verify all the settings with your requirements and then click on next to continue.
Prerequisites check done automatically
Click on the install button to start the Active Directory Domain Controller installation.
Domain Controller Installation is in Progress…
The domain controller server is successfully configured, then select close.
After configuration of the domain controller your server reboot automatically. Domain Administrator Login screen windows, type your domain controller password.
After login with your Active Directory Domain Controller, open your network connection TCP/IP properties. You can see the preferred DNS server IP Addresses.
In this article, I will explore how to enable Windows Server Backup features in Windows Server 2022. Implementing Windows Server backups is an essential part of daily Windows Server administration.
Backup permits you to restore lost data from disaster scenarios such as computer viruses, hardware-software failure, and human error.
Before creating a server backup, first, you need to install the Windows Server Backup feature. After the installation, you can access the Windows PowerShell command for Windows Server Backup. To enable this feature, using PowerShell is the simplest way.
If you try to run a backup job without installing Windows Server Backup, you will be prompted to install it.
Enable Windows Server Backup Feature
To install Windows Server Backup, you need to have Administrator access or Backup Operator. Now you can go to the Server Manager and then click on Add roles and features.
The following wizard will be displayed, click next.
Click next.
Then we select the server and then click next.
In the server roles section we will not apply for any roles, click next.
In the Features options, tick the Windows Server Backup box and then click next.
