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Deploy BranchCache Hosted Cache Mode with Windows Server 2016

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The new deployment guide Deploy BranchCache Hosted Cache Mode is now available in the Windows Server 2016 Technical Library.

BranchCache is a wide area network (WAN) bandwidth optimization technology that is included in some editions of the Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 operating systems, as well as in earlier versions of Windows and Windows Server.

When you deploy BranchCache in hosted cache mode, the content cache at a branch office is hosted on one or more server computers, which are called hosted cache servers. Hosted cache servers can run workloads in addition to hosting the cache, which allows you to use the server for multiple purposes in the branch office.

BranchCache hosted cache mode increases the cache efficiency because content is available even if the client that originally requested and cached the data is offline. Because the hosted cache server is always available, more content is cached, providing greater WAN bandwidth savings, and BranchCache efficiency is improved.

You can also pre-hash and pre-load content on your hosted cache servers. This means that branch office clients can access the content they need directly from the hosted cache server in the branch office right after you complete deployment.

When you deploy hosted cache mode, all clients in a multiple-subnet branch office can access a single cache, which is stored on the hosted cache server, even if the clients are on different subnets.

You can use BranchCache for Hosted Cache mode in Windows Server 2016 when client computers in your branch office are running one of the following operating systems, which provide BranchCache with support for Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and Server Message Block (SMB).

  • Windows 10 Enterprise
  • Windows 10 Education
  • Windows 8.1 Enterprise
  • Windows 8 Enterprise

For more information, see Deploy BranchCache Hosted Cache Mode.

Notes

  • For news about Microsoft Windows Server and Windows Client Networking documentation, you can follow me on Twitter at @James_McIllece
  • You can now also follow the Microsoft Datacenter and Cloud Networking team on Twitter at @Microsoft_SDN