There is a new checkbox on the General Tab of the Distribution point properties that would imply checking this box takes care of setting up BranchCache in Distribution mode, since that is the only mode SCCM 2012 supports, including installing the BranchCache feature on the server yet I find very little documentation on this setting. Just like WDS and IIs are installed automatically when adding certain roles to your site systems so you dont have to install them via the Server Manager, I assumed this check box would take care of installing the BranchCache feature and configure it accordingly. But after waiting an hour after checking this box, nothing seems to have been added or changed? Im just looking for a step-by-step guide for installing BranchCache on a SCCM 2012 R2 Distribution Point.

• Edited by scarneol Wednesday, February 19, 2014 12:26 AM

That was what I was told that checkbox does also. BracnhCache is a Feature so make sure you are validating there. You may also want to check sitecomp.log as this log file typically shows all site role installation activity. I just tried it on my lab site server and saw no change either :-( You can always just install the feature yourself.

You can use this guide (it's for 2007 but almost entirely applicable): http://blogs.msdn.com/b/steverac/archive/2010/02/06/configuring-sccm-and-branch-cache.aspx

Another post for SCCM 2012.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/canitpro/archive/2013/10/08/true-deployments-utilizing-branchcache-with-configuration-manager.aspx

Thanks Jason. I have BranchCache working in my environment using BITS, HTTP and HTTPS depending on the Distribution Point configuration but I am still wondering about the BranchCache GPO setting called "Configure BranchCache for Network files" that so many articles/blogs, including Steve Rachui's, tell you to set with latency when I am finding it is not applicable for SCCM since the DP's in SCCM are content servers of type Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) 1.1 Web servers, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) 1.1 Web servers, and Background Intelligent Transfer service (BITS)-based application servers...not File Share network servers which I think will use SMB? Could you clarify? 

  

Why wouldn't this setting be applicable? It's simply defining a latency threshold for when (and when not) to cache files. It is not specific to any protocol.

The latency settings only for BranchCache over SMB, not frequently used if ConfigMgr & BITS is in play. BITS BranchCache always use local content is available.

//Andreas

http://2pintsoftware.com/

Hi Andreas,

That is what i can see in our lab. But how can i make sure that the Client is using the branch cache function. Our test lab is ready to use the Branche Cache but so far the Client use still the distributions server (4 Clients) without touching the branch cache function.

You can examine the eventlog in order to find out details: http://www.mssccmfaq.de/2010/02/02/configmgr-2007-sp2-branch-cache/

Hi Torsten,

well that for the help and also for the link.
the link goes to sccm 2007 and not what we have running.

Our configuration is Sccm 2012 SP1 Cu3 and on the DP Site Windows Server 2008R2.

That does not matter much as branch cache is a client OS feature (in combination with a server of course) and troubleshooting is (still) the same.

Well i know that branch
Cache is not a sccm internal function is based on the OS. But somewhere is a
difference. Under Sccm 2007 the share has the flag Branch cache. If i look to
the share "SCCMContenLib$" this share has the flag Grey out. On the
DP Site the BITS and the branch Cache is installed and the Client has also the
gpo with the right Setting "distributed Cache".. but the download use
only the Distributionsserver as self. As far as I know the branch cache over
HTTP works on the other way as the file base branch Cache. The file base branch
Cache use the latency to use it. but how does the HTTP branch Cache work. Maybe
this is only configuration Problem.

Danke fuer Deine Hilfe. !!

Klaus