How to Configure Essentials to Use BranchCache in Distributed Cache Mode

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The BranchCache feature in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 can help to reduce network strain by downloading and locally caching content on the first BranchCache client. Peer requests for the same content receive that content over the local area network (LAN) from the first BranchCache client rather than downloading the content over the wide area network (WAN).

You can configure System Center Essentials 2010 to use BranchCache in distributed cache mode. Distributed cache mode works as follows: branch office or remote client computers use a locally maintained cache of data that is distributed across client computers to reduce WAN-link traffic. Multiple peer computers can transfer content simultaneously.

Use the Add Features wizard in Windows Server 2008 R2 to enable BranchCache on the server. For information about the BranchCache feature, see BranchCache Overview on the Microsoft TechNet Web site (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=167096).

To configure Essentials to use BranchCache

  1. In the Essentials console, click Administration.

  2. In the navigation pane, click Settings.

  3. In the Settings pane, under Update Management, right-click Update Files and Languages, and then click Properties.

  4. On the Update Files tab, click Store update files locally on this server, select Download update files to this server only when updates are approved, and then click OK.

To verify that BranchCache is being used

  1. In the Essentials console, click Updates.

  2. In the navigation pane, click a group of updates.

  3. In the Updates pane, right-click an approved update, and then click Deployment Status.

  4. If more than one computer receives updates, click the computer where you have enabled updates through BranchCache.

  5. View the information under Detailed Status. If updates were received using BranchCache, you see a message such as, “Some bits came from a peer and not the server.”