The BranchCache Distributed Cache Mode Step by Step Guide is Now Live in the Microsoft Download Center!

Many of you have probably heard of BranchCache, which is a new networking feature in Windows Server 2008 R2 (and some editions of Windows 7) that helps you optimize wide area network (WAN) bandwidth utilization - but have you actually deployed the technology?

If the answer is "no," but you're looking forward to checking BranchCache out, here's your chance! This step by step guide demonstrates how to deploy BranchCache in a test lab environment using distributed cache mode. Using this BranchCache mode, you don't need a branch office server, because the client computers take care of caching the content they’ve download from the main office content server.

This means that for the test lab, you only need one server computer (running Windows Server 2008 R2), which serves the role of a main office content server, and three client computers (running either Windows 7 Enterprise or Windows 7 Ultimate), which act as three branch office client computers. In the test lab, all four computers are connected to a hub, so you don't need any expensive networking hardware to deploy the technology using the guide.

And if you like using Hyper-V, you can also deploy this test lab using virtual machines and a virtual network.

OK, ready to go? Download the BranchCache Distributed Cache Mode Step by Step Guide from the Microsoft Download Center in Word format at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=185325.

James McIllece
Senior Technical Writer
The Windows Server and Cloud Networking Information Experience team