Branch office file server

If your sites are large enough to warrant a file server then DFS is your best bet. As an caveat it does not perform multi site file locking. For example User1 on SiteA opens sales.

User2 on SiteB opens sales. No warning, and the last file closed wins the conflict. If you're needing collaboration or multi access across sites then you will need to look at Sharepoint.

The non file locking with DFS will most likely be a huge issue, that is what i am worried about. This implies using DFS replication. There is merit in using just a basic DFS namespace to keep the share location centralized but not replicate any of the data. People often lump DFS and DFSR together as one item, when in fact they are two parts of the same product that can be used independently. I wouldn't worry too much about making it a read-only DC, unless there is some specific security requirement for that site.

Usually these are deployed into sites where there is a local IT administrator but you "the head administrator" doesn't want the local guy mucking things up. I agree there should be at least one DC at each branch to allow for local user authentication. I would also recommend a local FS for local user data. This data could be replicated back with DFS and then backed up at the main office so there is no need to manage a bunch of separate backup jobs.

If so DFS looses its shine. If multi - sites are accessing the same files frequnently then Sharepoint is good - you can Sign a file out and you can have change history. Feedback will be sent to Microsoft: By pressing the submit button, your feedback will be used to improve Microsoft products and services.

Privacy policy. Choosing a BranchCache Design. To optimize WAN bandwidth, BranchCache copies content from your main office content servers and caches the content at branch office locations, allowing client computers at branch offices to access the content locally rather than over the WAN. After a client computer requests and receives content from the main office or cloud datacenter and the content is cached at the branch office, other computers at the same branch office can obtain the content locally rather than contacting the content server over the WAN link.

BranchCache caches file, web, and application content at branch office locations, allowing client computers to access data using the local area network LAN rather than accessing the content over slow WAN connections.

BranchCache reduces both WAN traffic and the time that is required for branch office users to open files on the network. BranchCache always provides users with the most recent data, and it protects the security of your content by encrypting the caches on the hosted cache server and on client computers.

Distributed cache mode. In this mode, branch office client computers download content from the content servers in the main office or cloud, and then cache the content for other computers in the same branch office.

Distributed cache mode does not require a server computer in the branch office. FileCloud Server. Install and run FileCloud on your own Windows and Linux servers.

FileCloud Online. No setup needed. Payment details are not required for free trial. Trusted by. Branch office clients download content from the main office content server, and then upload the content to the hosted cache server in the branch.

Then when other clients in the branch need that content, they obtain it from the hosted cache server rather than over the WAN link. Installing a DHCP server at the branch offices is a good idea in most cases, although for your small office you could just configure the 5 machines with static IP addresses, depending on how you prefer to do things.

If you deployed a hosted cache server at the medium office, you could run DHCP on the same server, as BranchCache isn't load intensive. Office Office Exchange Server. Not an IT pro? Windows Server TechCenter. Sign in. United States English.