Hosted cache mode design

Updated: November 4, 2009

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

With the hosted cache mode design of BranchCache, employees in branch offices can quickly access content that is cached on a local hosted cache server. Client computers obtain content from main office content servers over wide area network (WAN) links, and then the content is cached on the hosted cache server. The hosted cache server then provides the content to other client computers upon request.

 

The Main office in the illustration above contains three types of content servers to demonstrate that you can deploy all three types of content servers on the same network; however to deploy BranchCache, only one content server is required. In addition, the main office contains a certification authority (CA) that enrolls certificates to the hosted cache servers that are located in branch offices. Also in the main office is an Active Directory Domain Services domain controller; BranchCache domain member client configuration is created in domain Group Policy.

Branch office 1 in the illustration above contains domain member client computers. These computers are automatically configured for BranchCache by domain Group Policy, which is configured on the AD DS domain controller, and which is applied to the computers when domain Group Policy is refreshed, such as when a user logs on to the computer or when the gpupdate command is run. This branch office also contains a hosted cache server that has enrolled a server certificate from the main office CA.

Branch office 2 in the illustration above contains non-domain member client computers. Because these computers are not joined to the domain, domain Group Policy cannot be applied to the computers and they cannot be automatically configured. In addition, this branch office contains a non-domain member hosted cache server that has been manually configured and to which a server certificate has been manually enrolled using the Certificates Microsoft Management Console (MMC).