Spotlight on BranchCache

  • Article

Hi there --

 

Just wanted to let everyone know that with the imminent release of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, there is new documentation published (and some that is soon to be published) about BranchCache, which is a new WAN optimization feature in some editions of these products.

 

You can find out everything you need to know about BranchCache at the Windows Server 2008 R2 Technical Library topic, BranchCache for Windows Server 2008 R2, at https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd996634(WS.10).aspx.

 

In addition to the content already published and described at the page above, a BranchCache deployment guide and design guide are in progress.

 

Here is a brief overview of BranchCache:

 

BranchCache is a wide area network (WAN) bandwidth optimization technology that is included in the Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 operating systems.

 

To optimize WAN bandwidth, BranchCache copies content from your main office content servers and caches the content at branch office locations, allowing client computers at branch offices to access the content locally rather than over the WAN.

 

At branch offices, content is cached either on servers that are running the BranchCache feature of Windows Server 2008 R2 or, when no server is available in the branch office, on computers running Windows 7. After a client computer requests and receives content from the main office and the content is cached at the branch office, other computers at the same branch office can obtain the content locally rather than contacting the main office over the WAN link.

 

BranchCache helps improve content query response times for clients and servers in branch offices, and can also help improve network performance by reducing traffic over WAN links.

 

 

James McIllece

Senior Technical Writer

The Windows Server User Assistance Networking team