Create an Azure storage pool

Add new managed disks to the VM

In the Azure portal add the new managed disks you want to use in the pool. The disk should all be the same size and SKU type. To ensure the disk as a resource is unique use the same naming standard as managed disks and append ‘-sp-disk#’.

Create the storage pool

1. On the server open Server Manager > File and Storage Services > Volumes > Disks
2. From Tasks select Rescan Storage
3. Now go to Server Manager > File and Storage Services > Volumes > Storage Pools
4. From Tasks select New Storage Pool
   • Give it a name such as “Data Storage Pool for drive L”
   • Select the Primordial pool of disks which should be the ones you just added in the portal
   • Select the physical disks you want in the pool -Leave the Allocation as default unless you want to change it -Review the options and select create

Create the virtual disk

1. In Server Manager > File and Storage Services > Volumes > Storage Pools
2. Right click the new storage pool and select New Virtual disk
3. Select the storage pool and click OK
4. Give the virtual disk a name such as “Data virtual disk for drive L”
5. Ignore enclosure awareness
6. In Storage layout select Simple
7. In provisioning select Fixed
8. In size select Maximum Size
9. Review the options and select create

Create a volume

1. In Server Manager > File and Storage Services > Volumes
2. From Tasks select New Volume
3. Select the new virtual disk
4. Make sure the size matches the virtual disk
5. Choose a drive letter
6. Change the allocation if required
7. Enter a disk label such as “Data”
8. Review the options and select Create

Add disks (expand) an existing storage pool

First add the new managed disk in the Azure portal then on the VM rescan the storage which should bring up the new managed disk. Right click the storage pool and choose to add a physical disk which will just add the new disk to the pool making the pool larger.

Next, open PowerShell as Administrator and run the following command which will show you the storage pool size and allocated size; the size value will still be the same.

Get-StoragePool

In the same PowerShell session run the following commands to tell Windows to take advantage of the new disk you’ve added to the pool.

Get-StoragePool [storage_pool_name] | Optimize-StoragePool

This will take a while to complete so you can monitor progress by using the command

Get-StorageJob

When the optimization is complete then run the Get-StoragePool command again to check the size value has increased.

Extend the virtual disk

1. In Server Manager > File and Storage Services > Volumes > Storage Pools
2. Right click the virtual disk and select Extend Virtual Disk.

Extend the volume

1. In Server Manager > File and Storage Services > Volumes > Disks
2. Right click the virtual disk and select Extend Volume.

Reference

Azure Storage Pools