How to Enable BranchCache on NetApp CIFS Shares

Prerequisites

Before enabling BranchCache on your NetApp CIFS shares, ensure that your environment meets these critical requirements:

ONTAP Version Compatibility

BranchCache requires NetApp ONTAP 9 or later for full support. Check your ONTAP version with:

cluster version show

SMB Protocol Requirements

For BranchCache to function, your SMB server must support the correct protocol version:

• BranchCache v1 requires SMB 2.1 or later
• BranchCache v2 requires SMB 3.0 or later

Verify your SMB protocol settings:

vserver cifs options show -vserver <vserver_name>

Windows Client Compatibility

BranchCache is a Windows feature, so ensure your remote clients are running:

• Windows 7+ (Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate)
• Windows Server 2008 R2+

Step 1: Verify SMB Protocol Settings

Before enabling BranchCache, you must ensure that the correct SMB protocol versions are enabled on your NetApp storage system.

Enable SMB 2.1 and SMB 3.0

Enable SMB 2.1 for BranchCache v1 support:

vserver cifs options modify -vserver <vserver_name> -smb2-enabled true

Enable SMB 3.0 for BranchCache v2 support:

vserver cifs options modify -vserver <vserver_name> -smb3-enabled true

Step 2: Configure BranchCache on NetApp CIFS Server

Now that SMB protocols are enabled, configure BranchCache on your NetApp CIFS server by setting up a hash store and enabling the service.

Create BranchCache Hash Store

BranchCache requires a dedicated hash store where metadata for cached files is stored:

vserver cifs branchcache create -vserver <vserver_name> -hash-store-path /vol/branchcache -hash-store-max-size 20GB

Enable BranchCache Service

Enable BranchCache on the SVM:

vserver cifs branchcache modify -vserver <vserver_name> -enabled true

Configure BranchCache Versions and Operating Mode

Enable both BranchCache versions for maximum compatibility:

vserver cifs branchcache modify -vserver <vserver_name> -versions enable-all

Set the operating mode to per-share (recommended for granular control):

vserver cifs branchcache modify -vserver <vserver_name> -operating-mode per-share

Step 3: Enable BranchCache on CIFS Shares

With BranchCache configured at the SVM level, you now need to enable it on specific CIFS shares to control which data is cached.

List Available CIFS Shares

First, check existing CIFS shares on your NetApp system:

vserver cifs share show -vserver <vserver_name>

Enable BranchCache on Specific Shares

Enable BranchCache on an individual CIFS share:

vserver cifs share properties add -vserver <vserver_name> -share-name <share_name> -share-properties branchcache

Verify BranchCache is enabled on the share:

vserver cifs share show -vserver <vserver_name> -share-name <share_name>

Step 4: Configure Windows Clients

After enabling BranchCache on NetApp CIFS shares, configure Windows client devices to take advantage of local caching.

Enable BranchCache on Individual Clients

Open PowerShell as administrator and check BranchCache status:

Get-BCStatus

If BranchCache is disabled, enable it with:

Enable-BCLocal

Group Policy Configuration (Enterprise Recommended)

For enterprise environments, use Group Policy to configure BranchCache across multiple clients:

1. Open Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)
2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates → Network → Offline Files
3. Enable “Turn on BranchCache”
4. Configure “Set BranchCache Distributed Cache Mode” for branch office caching
5. Apply the policy to your Active Directory OU containing branch office computers

Force Group Policy update on client machines:

gpupdate /force

Step 5: Test and Verify BranchCache

After configuration, it’s essential to verify that BranchCache is working correctly and providing performance benefits.

Verify Client Status

On Windows clients, confirm BranchCache is running:

Get-BCStatus

Check cached data:

Get-BCDataCache

Performance Testing

Test file retrieval performance:

1. Open a large file (50MB+) from the CIFS share
2. Close the file and note the access time
3. Reopen the same file – it should load significantly faster from cache

Monitor NetApp BranchCache statistics:

vserver cifs branchcache show -vserver <vserver_name>

Best Practices and Optimization

Follow these best practices to ensure optimal BranchCache performance, security, and long-term maintenance.

Performance Optimization

• Adjust Hash Store Size: Increase from default 20GB based on network traffic and file usage patterns
• Use SSD Storage: Store BranchCache data on SSD-backed volumes for improved read speeds
• Monitor Cache Utilization: Regularly check cache usage with Get-BCDataCache
• Network Performance: Monitor with Get-BCNetworkStatistics to track cache hits vs. WAN requests

Security Considerations

• NTFS Permissions: Ensure CIFS shares have proper read/write permissions
• BitLocker Encryption: Configure Windows BitLocker to encrypt cached content on clients
• Audit Logging: Enable CIFS audit logging with vserver cifs audit enable
• Access Controls: Use Group Policy to restrict BranchCache to authorized users only

Maintenance and Updates

• Keep ONTAP Updated: Regular updates provide performance improvements and security patches
• Windows Updates: Ensure clients receive latest BranchCache updates via Windows Update or WSUS
• Regular Testing: Periodically test file access speeds to confirm BranchCache effectiveness
• Documentation: Maintain records of configured shares and client deployments

Conclusion

Enabling BranchCache on NetApp CIFS shares significantly improves file access speeds for remote users while reducing WAN bandwidth usage. By caching frequently accessed files locally, BranchCache enhances user experience and optimizes network performance across distributed environments.

Following this comprehensive guide, you’ve successfully configured BranchCache at both the NetApp storage level and Windows client level, implemented proper testing procedures, and established best practices for ongoing maintenance and security.