How to Configure BranchCache for Network Files in Windows Server 2022
Posted on 19th June 2023
BranchCache is a feature of Windows Server that allows files located on a remote server to be cached on a local server, thereby reducing network traffic and improving performance. In this article, we will show you how to configure BranchCache for network files in Windows Server 2022.
Before you begin, you will need to have the following:
• A server running Windows Server 2022 with the File and Storage Services role installed.
• A client computer running Windows 10 with the BranchCache feature enabled.
• A network file share that is accessible from both the server and the client.
Configuring BranchCache for Network Files
1. On the server, open the Server Manager and select the File and Storage Services role.
2. Under the File and Storage Services role, select Shares.
3. Select the share that you want to configure BranchCache for, and then click the Properties button.
4. On the Share Properties dialog, select the Enable BranchCache checkbox.
5. Click the Apply button and then click the OK button.
6. On the client computer, open the Control Panel and select the Network and Sharing Center.
7. Select the Change advanced sharing settings option.
8. Expand the All Networks section and select the Turn on BranchCache checkbox.
9. Click the Save button.
10. Open the File Explorer and browse to the network file share.
11. Right-click on the file or folder that you want to cache, and select the Always available offline option.
12. A message will appear asking if you want to make the file or folder available offline. Click the Yes button.
13. The file or folder will now be cached on the client computer.
Testing the Configuration
1. On the client computer, open a command prompt and type the following command:
net share
2. The list of shares will be displayed, including the share that you configured BranchCache for. The Status column will indicate if the share is cached or not.
3. To test the configuration, open the File Explorer and browse to the network file share.
4. Right-click on the file or folder that you cached, and select the Properties option.
5. On the Properties dialog, select the Offline Availability tab.
6. The Offline Availability tab will indicate if the file or folder is cached or not.
Congratulations, you have successfully configured BranchCache for network files in Windows Server 2022! I have attached the document with the full instructions.
Configure BranchCache for network files
Windows Server 2022 provides a new feature called BranchCache that can be used to cache content from remote servers on your local network. This can be used to improve performance when accessing files from a remote server, as the content will be downloaded once and then cached locally so that subsequent requests can be served from the local cache.
In order to use BranchCache, you will need to configure it on both the server and the client computers. On the server, you will need to enable BranchCache and configure it to share content with clients. On the client, you will need to configure BranchCache to fetch content from the server.
Enabling BranchCache on the server
1. Open the Server Manager dashboard.
2. Click on the “File and Storage Services” link.
3. Select the “Shares” tab.
4. Select the share that you want to configure BranchCache for, and click the “Edit” button.
5. Select the “Advanced” tab.
6. Select the “Enable BranchCache” checkbox.
7. Select the “Allow clients to cache files from this share” checkbox.
8. Click the “OK” button.
Configuring BranchCache on the client
1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Select the “Network and Sharing Center” link.
3. Select the “Change advanced sharing settings” link.
4. Expand the “Private” profile.
5. Select the “Turn on BranchCache” checkbox.
6. Click the “Save changes” button.
Your server and client are now configured to use BranchCache. When a client accesses a file on the server, the content will be downloaded and cached locally. Subsequent requests for the same content will be served from the local cache, which can improve performance.
Overview
BranchCache is a feature of Windows Server that can be used to cache content from a content server, such as a file server, on computers at branch offices. This can reduce network traffic over wide area network (WAN) links, and improve the performance of applications that access content from the content server.
In order to use BranchCache, the content server must be configured to support BranchCache, and the client computers must be configured to use BranchCache. This article will describe how to configure BranchCache for network files in Windows Server 2022.
Configure the Content Server
The first step is to configure the content server to support BranchCache. This can be done by using the Server Manager tool, or by using Group Policy.
Using Server Manager
To configure the content server using Server Manager, open the Server Manager tool and click on the “File and Storage Services” link. In the “File and Storage Services” section, click on the ” Shares” link.
In the “Shares” section, select the share that you want to configure for BranchCache and click on the “Edit” button.
In the “Edit Share” window, select the “Enable BranchCache” checkbox and click on the “OK” button.
Using Group Policy
To configure the content server using Group Policy, open the Group Policy Management Console and create a new Group Policy Object. Edit the Group Policy Object and navigate to the following path:
Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative Templates -> Network -> BranchCache
In the “BranchCache” section, double-click on the “Enable BranchCache” policy and select the “Enabled” option. Click on the “OK” button to save the changes.
Configure the Client Computers
The next step is to configure the client computers to use BranchCache. This can be done by using the Group Policy Management Console, or by using the registry editor.
Using Group Policy
To configure the client computers using Group Policy, open the Group Policy Management Console and edit the Group Policy Object that you created in the previous section. Navigate to the following path:
Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative Templates -> Network -> BranchCache
In the “BranchCache” section, double-click on the “Turn on BranchCache” policy and select the “Enabled” option. Click on the “OK” button to save the changes.
Using the Registry Editor
To configure the client computers using the registry editor, open the registry editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsBranchCache
In the “BranchCache” key, create a new DWORD value named “Enabled” and set its value to “1”.
Conclusion
In this article, we have described how to configure BranchCache for network files in Windows Server 2022.
