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Requirements and guidelines

Before you can use the BranchCache feature with your SVM, you need to be aware of certain requirements and guidelines. For example, you need to know about ONTAP support for the feature. You also need to know about SMB version support and about supported Windows hosts.

  • BranchCache version support
    You should be aware of which BranchCache versions ONTAP supports.
  • Network protocol support requirements
    You must be aware of the network protocol requirements for implementing ONTAP BranchCache.
  • ONTAP and Windows hosts version requirements
    ONTAP and branch office Windows hosts must meet certain version requirements before you can configure BranchCache.
  • Reasons ONTAP invalidates BranchCache hashes
    Understanding the reasons why ONTAP invalidates hashes can be helpful as you plan your BranchCache configuration. It can help you decide which operating mode you should configure and can help you choose on which shares to enable BranchCache.
  • Guidelines for choosing the hash store location
    When configuring BranchCache, you choose where to store hashes and what size the hash store should be. Understanding the guidelines when choosing the hash store location and size can help you plan your BranchCache configuration on a CIFS-enabled SVM.
  • BranchCache recommendations
    Before you configure BranchCache, there are certain recommendations you should keep in mind when deciding on which SMB shares you want to enable BranchCache caching.