Windows 2019 Storage Spaces Direct on non certified hardware

So, quick update…

When you try to deploy Storage Spaces Direct on your Windows 2019 VMs or non-certified servers, you are presented with a nice red error in PowerShell:

Enable-ClusterS2D : Microsoft recommends deploying SDDC on WSSD [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/softwar
e-defined-datacenter] certified hardware offerings for production environments. The WSSD offerings will be pre-validate
d on Windows Server 2019 in the coming months. In the meantime, we are making the SDDC bits available early to Windows
Server 2019 Insiders to allow for testing and evaluation in preparation for WSSD certified hardware becoming available.
 Customers interested in upgrading existing WSSD environments to Windows Server 2019 should contact Microsoft for recom
mendations on how to proceed. Please call Microsoft support [https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4051701/global-cu
stomer-service-phone-numbers].
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (MSCluster_StorageSpacesDirect:root/MSCLUSTER/...ageSpacesDirect) [Ena
   ble-ClusterStorageSpacesDirect], CimException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : HRESULT 0x80070032,Enable-ClusterStorageSpacesDirect

Enable-ClusterS2D : Failed to run CIM method EnableStorageSpacesDirect on the root/MSCLUSTER/MSCluster_StorageSpacesDir
ect CIM object.  The CIM method returned the following error code: 50
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidResult: (MSCluster_StorageSpacesDirect:String) [Enable-ClusterStorageSpacesDirect
   ], CimJobException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CimJob_EnableStorageSpacesDirect_50,Enable-ClusterStorageSpacesDirect

Thank you Microsoft, just want to make use of the feature that is part of the software I’m using…

So here is the registry key to get past this message and enable S2D on your non-certified server (only needed on the node where you are performing the installation):

New-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ClusSvc\Parameters" -Name S2D -Value 1 -PropertyType DWORD -Force


Have Fun!
As always, no warranties provided, use with caution. (This is a lab, not production.)