Branch Cache SCCM 2012

Branch Cache for SCCM 2012 Application Distribution

If you are planning to implement as a test then perform the below mentioned changes in the local group policy and then make a change in the domain wide using group policy.

Here are the steps

 1.       Make the following changes in the Group policy Computer Configuration --> Administrative Templates --> Network --> BranchCache, enable the following settings

• Turn on Branch Cache
• Set Branch Cache Distributed Cache Mode
• Configure BranchCache for network files -- 80 milliseconds
• Set percentage of disk space used for client computer cache -- 10

2.   Make the following change in the group policy (Computer Configuration --> Windows Settings --> Security Settings and Windows Firewall with Advanced Security) enable the below mentioned settings in both Inbound and Outbound Rules of client machines

• BranchCache Content Retrieval (HTTP-In) – Port 80
• BranchCache Peer discovery (WSD-In) – Port 3702
• BranchCache Content Retrieval (HTTP-Out) – Port 80
• BranchCache Peer discovery (WSD-Out) – Port 3702

3.       Install Branch Cache feature in both Site Servers (CAS and Primary Site Servers)

To check BranchCache is working, verify the following logs in the client

• DataTransferService.log
• FileBits.log
• ContentTransferManager.log

Validation Method:

• Start Performance Monitor
• Add monitor elements
• Add BranchCache (specifically
• BITS: Bytes from cache
• BITS: Bytes from server
• Discovery: Attempted discoveries
• Discovery: Successful discoveries
• Retrieval: Bytes from cache
• Retrieval: Bytes from server
• Retrieval: Bytes served (show how much this computer is providing to other peers)
• Monitor these counters
• Deploy something NEW from SCCM ensuring that “download from distribution point” is enabled in order to force BITS.  You could also manually transfer data via BITSAdmin.exe
• Run this locally to see some good basic configuration and utilization info
  netsh branchcache show status all   
• References:
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd637782%28v=ws.10%29.aspx
  http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/1296.branchcache-troubleshooting.aspx