Resilient File System (ReFS)

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/
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Resilient File System (ReFS) is a Microsoft file system designed to maximize data availability,...
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### Run Windows Setup with Unattend File

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/refs-boot-windows-server-unattend

Command to initiate Windows Setup using an answer file that excludes the DiskConfiguration section.

```cmd
setup.exe /unattend:X:\unattend.xml
```

--------------------------------

### Get File Integrity Settings

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/integrity-streams

Retrieve the integrity stream status for a specific file or all files within a directory.

```PowerShell
PS C:\> Get-FileIntegrity -FileName 'C:\Docs\TextDocument.txt'
```

```PowerShell
PS C:\> Get-Item -Path 'C:\Docs\*' | Get-FileIntegrity
```

--------------------------------

### Configure and enable WinRE

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/refs-boot-windows-server-unattend

Commands to create the recovery directory, copy the WinRE image, and register it with the system.

```cmd
mkdir <RecoveryDrive>:\Recovery\WindowsRE
xcopy /h C:\Windows\System32\Recovery\Winre.wim <RecoveryDrive>:\Recovery\WindowsRE\
reagentc /setreimage /path <RecoveryDrive>:\Recovery\WindowsRE /target C:\Windows
reagentc /enable
reagentc /info
```

--------------------------------

### Create a mirror-accelerated parity volume using PowerShell

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/mirror-accelerated-parity

Uses the New-Volume cmdlet to define a volume with performance and capacity storage tiers.

```PowerShell
New-Volume -FriendlyName "TestVolume" -FileSystem CSVFS_ReFS -StoragePoolFriendlyName "StoragePoolName" -StorageTierFriendlyNames Performance, Capacity -StorageTierSizes 200GB, 800GB
```

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### Unattend.xml for UEFI/GPT ReFS Boot and NTFS WinRE

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/refs-boot-windows-server-unattend

This configuration sets up a disk with EFI, MSR, ReFS-formatted OS, and NTFS-formatted recovery partitions for Windows Server deployment.

```xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
  <settings pass="windowsPE">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup"
               processorArchitecture="amd64"
               publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"
               language="neutral"
               versionScope="nonSxS"
               xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State">

      <DiskConfiguration>
        <Disk wcm:action="add">
          <DiskID>0</DiskID>
          <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>

          <CreatePartitions>
            <!-- 1. EFI System Partition. Use 200 MB on 512/512e disks; use 300 MB on 4Kn disks. -->
            <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>1</Order>
              <Type>EFI</Type>
              <Size>200</Size>
            </CreatePartition>

            <!-- 2. Microsoft Reserved Partition -->
            <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>2</Order>
              <Type>MSR</Type>
              <Size>16</Size>
            </CreatePartition>

            <!-- 3. Windows (OS) partition -->
            <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>3</Order>
              <Type>Primary</Type>
              <!-- Example size only, not a requirement. To fill the disk, set this to (total disk size in MB) - 200 (ESP) - 16 (MSR) - 2048 (recovery). Don't leave trailing unallocated space after the recovery partition. -->
              <Size>120000</Size>
            </CreatePartition>

            <!-- 4. Windows Recovery (WinRE) partition - 2 GB -->
            <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>4</Order>
              <Type>Primary</Type>
              <Size>2048</Size>
            </CreatePartition>
          </CreatePartitions>

          <ModifyPartitions>
            <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>1</Order>
              <PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
              <Label>System</Label>
              <Format>FAT32</Format>
            </ModifyPartition>

            <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>2</Order>
              <PartitionID>2</PartitionID>
            </ModifyPartition>

            <!-- OS partition formatted as ReFS -->
            <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>3</Order>
              <PartitionID>3</PartitionID>
              <Label>Windows</Label>
              <Letter>C</Letter>
              <Format>REFS</Format>
            </ModifyPartition>

            <!-- Recovery partition: NTFS, marked as Windows Recovery Tools. No <Letter> is set, and the recovery TypeID keeps Windows from assigning a drive letter. -->
            <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>4</Order>
              <PartitionID>4</PartitionID>
              <Label>Recovery</Label>
              <Format>NTFS</Format>
              <TypeID>DE94BBA4-06D1-4D40-A16A-BFD50179D6AC</TypeID>
            </ModifyPartition>
          </ModifyPartitions>
        </Disk>

        <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
      </DiskConfiguration>

      <ImageInstall>
        <OSImage>
          <InstallTo>
            <DiskID>0</DiskID>
            <PartitionID>3</PartitionID>
          </InstallTo>
          <InstallToAvailablePartition>false</InstallToAvailablePartition>
        </OSImage>
      </ImageInstall>

    </component>
  </settings>
</unattend>
```

--------------------------------

### Execute DiskPart Script

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/refs-boot-windows-server-unattend

Command to run the prepared layout script from the Windows PE command prompt.

```cmd
diskpart /s X:\layout.txt
```

--------------------------------

### DiskPart Script for ReFS Boot Layout

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/refs-boot-windows-server-unattend

A script to clean a disk, convert it to GPT, and create the necessary EFI, MSR, OS (ReFS), and Recovery partitions.

```text
rem === ReFS boot layout for UEFI and GPT ===
select disk 0
clean
convert gpt

rem 1. EFI System Partition (use size=200 on 512/512e disks; use size=300 on 4Kn disks)
create partition efi size=200
format quick fs=fat32 label="System"
assign letter=S

rem 2. Microsoft Reserved
create partition msr size=16

rem 3. Windows (OS) partition - ReFS (size=120000 is an example only, not a requirement; to fill the disk use (total disk size in MB) - 200 (ESP) - 16 (MSR) - 2048 (recovery), leaving no trailing unallocated space)
create partition primary size=120000
format quick fs=refs label="Windows"
assign letter=C

rem 4. Windows Recovery (WinRE) partition - NTFS, 2 GB, marked as recovery
create partition primary size=2048
format quick fs=ntfs label="Recovery"
assign letter=R
set id="DE94BBA4-06D1-4D40-A16A-BFD50179D6AC"
gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001

list partition
exit
```

--------------------------------

### Verify ReFS volume using PowerShell

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/refs-boot-windows-server-unattend

Use the Get-Volume cmdlet to display the file system type of the boot drive.

```PowerShell
Get-Volume -DriveLetter C | Format-List DriveLetter, FileSystemType, Size, SizeRemaining
```

--------------------------------

### Verify ReFS volume using Command Prompt

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/refs-boot-windows-server-unattend

Use the fsutil command to inspect volume information and confirm the file system name.

```Windows Command Prompt
fsutil fsinfo volumeinfo C:
```

--------------------------------

### Configure DataDestageSsdFillRatioThreshold Registry Key

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/mirror-accelerated-parity

PowerShell commands to set the registry key for adjusting the mirror tier rotation threshold.

```powershell
Set-ItemProperty -Path HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies -Name DataDestageSsdFillRatioThreshold -Value 75
```

```powershell
$Nodes = 'S2D-01', 'S2D-02', 'S2D-03', 'S2D-04'
Invoke-Command $Nodes {Set-ItemProperty -Path HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies -Name DataDestageSsdFillRatioThreshold -Value 75}
```

--------------------------------

### Resize Storage Tier

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/mirror-accelerated-parity

PowerShell cmdlets to increase the size of the mirrored storage tier.

```powershell
Resize-StorageTier -FriendlyName "Performance" -Size 20GB
Resize-StorageTier -InputObject (Get-StorageTier -FriendlyName "Performance") -Size 20GB
```

--------------------------------

### Check WinRE status

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/refs-boot-windows-server-unattend

Use this command to confirm the current state and location of the Windows Recovery Environment.

```cmd
reagentc /info
```

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### Set File Integrity Settings

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/integrity-streams

Enable or disable integrity streams for specific files, directories, or entire volumes.

```PowerShell
PS C:\> Set-FileIntegrity -FileName 'H:\Docs\TextDocument.txt' -Enable $True
```

```PowerShell
PS C:\> Get-Item -Path 'H\Docs\*' | Set-FileIntegrity -Enable $True
```

```PowerShell
PS C:\> Set-FileIntegrity H:\ -Enable $True
PS C:\> Set-FileIntegrity H:\Docs -Enable $True
```

--------------------------------

### Monitor ReFS Performance Counters

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/mirror-accelerated-parity

Performance counters used to identify when ReFS writes directly to the parity tier due to mirror tier saturation.

```text
# Windows Server 2016
ReFS\Data allocations slow tier/sec
ReFS\Metadata allocations slow tier/sec

# Windows Server 2019
ReFS\Allocation of Data Clusters on Slow Tier/sec
ReFS\Allocation of Metadata Clusters on Slow Tier/sec
```

--------------------------------

### Manage recovery partition drive letter

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/refs-boot-windows-server-unattend

Commands to assign or remove a drive letter for a hidden recovery partition using DiskPart.

```diskpart
select disk 0
select partition 4
assign letter=R
exit
```

```diskpart
select disk 0
select partition 4
remove letter=R
exit
```
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