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Using BranchCache to cache SMB share content at a branch office

BranchCache was developed by Microsoft to enable caching of content on computers local to requesting clients. The Data ONTAP implementation of BranchCache can reduce wide-area network (WAN) utilization and provide improved access response time when users in a branch office access content stored on a storage system using SMB.

If you configure BranchCache, Windows BranchCache clients first retrieve content from the storage system and then cache the content on a computer within the branch office. If another BranchCache-enabled client in the branch office requests the same content, the storage system first authenticates and authorizes the requesting user. The storage system then determines whether the cached content is still up-to-date and, if it is, sends the client metadata about the cached content. The client then uses the metadata to retrieve content directly from the locally based cache.