Install the BranchCache feature and set the service mode

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Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2

You can use these procedures to install the BranchCache feature, start the BranchCache service, and set the service mode to HOSTEDSERVER on the BranchCache hosted cache server, Hosted-01.

Membership in Administrators, or equivalent is the minimum required to perform this procedure.

To install and enable the BranchCache feature

  1. On Hosted-01, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager. Server Manager opens.

  2. In the Server Manager left pane, right-click Features, and then click Add Features. The Add Features Wizard opens.

  3. In the Add Features Wizard, in Features, select the BranchCache check box, and then click Next.

  4. In Confirm Installation Selections, review your choice and then click Install. The Installation Progress pane is displayed during installation, and then the Installation Results pane is displayed.

  5. In Installation Results, review the summary and then click Close. The Add Features Wizard closes.

  6. In the Server Manager left pane, double-click Configuration, and then click Services.

  7. In the details pane, in Services, double-click BranchCache. The BranchCache Properties dialog box opens.

  8. In the BranchCache Properties dialog box, on the General tab, verify that the BranchCache service is started. If it is not already started, click Start to start the BranchCache service, and then click OK.

Important

The BranchCache service startup type is Automatic, which means that the BranchCache service starts whenever the computer is restarted. It is recommended that you keep the startup type value set to Automatic.

You can use the following procedure to configure the BranchCache service mode on Hosted-01. Because the hosted cache server is not a member of an Active Directory domain, the additional parameter clientauthentication=NONE is included when you run the netsh branchcache set service mode command.

To enable BranchCache hostedserver mode using network shell commands

  1. On Hosted-01, click Start, click Search programs and files, and then type command. In search results, under Programs, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as Administrator. The command prompt opens with the elevated privileges that are required to run netsh commands.

  2. Run the following command: netsh branchcache set service mode=hostedserver clientauthentication=NONE

Note

Running the netsh branchcache set service command both configures the server computer to act as a hosted cache server and automatically configures the computer firewall with the following inbound exceptions for hosted cache mode: TCP port 80 and TCP port 443.

  1. To verify that BranchCache hosted server mode is correctly configured on the computer, run the following command: netsh branchcache show status. The BranchCache Service Status is displayed in the command prompt window with the following values: Service Mode: Hosted Server; Client Authentication: No Authentication; and Current Status= Running.