How to Use Patch Caching to Optimize Bandwidth in Remote and Branch Sites

Due to limited bandwidth, patch deployment in remote and branch offices is often difficult. This makes the process slow, disruptive, and network resource-intensive. To solve this issue, MSPs and IT administrators must focus on bandwidth optimization using patch caching to share patches locally and improve user experience.

Keep reading to learn how to implement patch caching to optimize network efficiency, meet compliance requirements, and maximize the value of existing infrastructure without costly upgrades.

Guide to using patch caching for bandwidth optimization in remote and branch sites

Patch caching can help overcome bandwidth limitations common in remote and branch environments by reducing redundant traffic across constrained WAN links. This ensures faster, more reliable patch deployment. Below are some methods utilizing different caching strategies that organizations can tailor to their specific needs.

📌 Prerequisites:

• Patch management system (e.g., NinjaOne Patch Management, Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, WSUS, Intune)
• Awareness of supported caching technologies: Windows Delivery Optimization (DO), BranchCache, peer-to-peer distribution
• Administrative rights to configure policies via Group Policy (GPO), Intune, or registry settings
• Centralized reporting and logging to validate caching efficiency

📌 Recommended deployment strategies:

Method 1: Enable and configure Windows Delivery Optimization

Windows Delivery Optimization (DO) is a peer-to-peer caching technology built into Microsoft. Here, only one device has to download an update for others to be able to retrieve it from that device’s cache, making DO a practical and lightweight method for reducing redundant bandwidth consumption.

How DO works

When enabled, DO stores downloaded updates locally on a device. Other devices within the same LAN or defined group can fetch the cached data instead of downloading it directly from Microsoft’s servers. Administrators can control cache behavior, including:

• How much disk space is used
• How long content is stored
• Which peers are allowed to share updates

Configuration steps:

1. Enable Delivery Optimization via Group Policy or Intune.

• • In Group Policy Editor, navigate to:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Delivery Optimization

Enable peer-to-peer sharing and set the desired mode (e.g., LAN-only, group ID-based).

• • Configure DO using Intune device configuration profiles for cloud-managed environments.

⚠️ Important: Do not configure Delivery Optimization through both Group Policy and Intune on the same device. Choose only one configuration authority based on your management model to avoid policy conflicts.

2. Adjust cache age and disk space.

• • Define limits for how long cached content should remain on devices.
  • Set maximum disk space usage to avoid impacting user experience on smaller endpoints.

3. Use Group IDs for remote offices.

• • Assign a unique Delivery Optimization Group ID to devices in a specific site to ensure that devices within the same branch or subnet prioritize sharing updates with each other.

Validation and monitoring:

Run this PowerShell command:

Get-DeliveryOptimizationPerfSnapThisMonth

This command displays how much content a single device has downloaded and uploaded using Delivery Optimization during the current calendar month.

💡 Note: These metrics are device-specific and not aggregated across the entire network or organization.

Method 2: Leverage BranchCache or WSUS in constrained sites

Peer-to-peer alone may not be enough to update huge numbers of devices in larger branch offices, municipal networks, or schools. BranchCache and WSUS can provide more structured ways to reduce WAN strain and improve patch delivery in these environments.

BranchCache

BranchCache is a Windows feature that caches content downloaded from central servers and redistributes it locally to peers. It can operate in two modes:

• Distributed Cache mode: Each client device keeps a portion of cached data and shares it with other devices on the LAN.
• Hosted Cache mode: A designated server stores the branch’s cached content. All endpoints fetch updates from this server rather than re-downloading from the WAN.

⚠️ Important: BranchCache is not cloud-aware and only works within on-premises LAN environments. It cannot cache or distribute updates sourced directly from cloud-based services like Windows Update or Microsoft Intune.

Administrators monitoring BranchCache should track cache hit rates to measure the number of updates served locally versus retrieved from the Internet and confirm effectiveness. Use BranchCache when you want bandwidth savings without heavy infrastructure.

WSUS (Windows Server Update Services)

WSUS is a centralized patch management system that downloads updates from Microsoft once, stores them locally, and then distributes them to all endpoints within the organization. It allows patch approval, scheduling, and detailed compliance reporting, which is ideal for enterprises with strict governance or regulatory requirements.

Compared to BranchCache, WSUS doesn’t directly expose cache hit rates. However, administrators can measure effectiveness through reporting, WAN usage, and monitoring tools to ensure it reduces redundant downloads. Use WSUS when you need centralized control, compliance tracking, and patch approval workflows.

💡 Tip: NinjaOne can complement BranchCache and WSUS by automating patch deployment, collecting cache performance data, and generating compliance-ready reports. This makes it easier to maintain consistency and visibility across all sites. For more details, see the NinjaOne integration section below.

Method 3: Define cache groups in DO for remote offices

Another way to improve peer-to-peer patch efficiency in distributed environments is by defining cache groups in Windows Delivery Optimization. In this method, you’ll group devices in the same subnet or assigned DO Group ID. After a single device downloads a patch, all other devices in the group can simply retrieve the patch locally instead of hitting the WAN again.

To configure cache groups in DO:

1. Assign Group IDs to devices using any of the following tools:

• • Group Policy: Follow this path and enter a GUID under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Delivery Optimization > Group ID.

⚠️ Important: To enable peering across a private group, you must first set Download Mode under the same path to 2.

• • Intune: Create a custom configuration profile with the Group ID setting.
  • Windows registry: Create the DOGroupID String Value and add a GUID under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeliveryOptimization.

⚠️ Important: To enable peering across a private group, you must first set the DODownloadMode DWORD within the same path to 2.

2. Scope groups by assigning the same Group ID to devices in the same branch office, subnet, or VPN tunnel.
3. Via Group Policy, Intune, or registry, tune cache settings, such as:

• • Cache age: Configure Max Cache Age to control how long content is stored (default: 30 days).
  • Disk space limits: To prevent cache bloat, configure the Max Cache Size (e.g., 10–20% of the system drive).

4. Validate peer-to-peer sharing by running this command on client devices:

Get-DeliveryOptimizationStatus

Check the logs to confirm cache hits instead of repeated WAN downloads

5. Collect data on bandwidth saved and peer-to-peer utilization, then integrate the results into centralized dashboards (e.g., NinjaOne reporting) to demonstrate efficiency.

Method 4: Monitor and report caching effectiveness

It’s also important to actively monitor and report on caching effectiveness to prove its value and ensure compliance. Using built-in logs and reports, such as Delivery Optimization logs (Get-DeliveryOptimizationStatus) and WSUS or BranchCache reports for update distribution, you can collect metrics on:

• Bandwidth saved: How much WAN traffic was avoided through local caching
• Peer-to-peer cache hit rates: The percentage of updates retrieved locally vs. from the internet, estimated by reviewing Delivery Optimization logs or running Get-DeliveryOptimizationStatus and using this formula with value results
• Patch deployment speed: Verify that caching helps distribute patches more efficiently across endpoints (typically saving minutes or hours during deployment windows).
• Cache utilization: Ensure cache size and age settings are used efficiently without consuming excessive storage

You can collect these metrics centrally and include them in regular reports or QBR (quarterly business review) summaries to show ROI to stakeholders.

Method 5: Align caching with compliance requirements

Caching helps to save bandwidth and speed up patching, but it must always align with compliance and security frameworks, such as:

• Regulatory standards (NIST 800-40, CIS benchmarks, and government patching mandates) that require timely security updates
• Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) that caching misconfigurations may breach
• Audits that require proof of when patches were deployed and that no endpoints were left vulnerable.

Here are some best practices to align caching with compliance

• Prevent delays in patch distribution:
  • Configure cache age and refresh settings so updates don’t linger too long before being applied.
  • Validate that critical patches bypass unnecessary caching delays.
• Document cache policies:
  • Record how DO, BranchCache, or WSUS is configured.
  • Include cache group IDs, cache age limits, and disk usage policies in patch management SOPs.
• Integrate compliance reporting:
  • Ensure caching metrics are included in compliance dashboards.
  • Track patch timelines to confirm that updates meet SLA and regulatory deadlines.
• Audit and review regularly:
  • Run periodic reviews of cache settings and monitoring reports.
  • Confirm that caching aligns with evolving regulatory requirements and internal policies.

Summary table of methods

Here’s a quick summary of all the mentioned practices and how they help optimize bandwidth in remote and branch sites.

Why patch caching matters in remote and branch sites

Remote and branch environments like schools, municipal buildings, and satellite offices often have limited bandwidth. When each device downloads necessary updates directly from the internet, it can congest the network, slowing down patch distribution and possibly creating compliance gaps.

Patch caching using peer-to-peer delivery or local caching servers should help:

• Conserve bandwidth by preventing WAN links from saturating with duplicate downloads.
• Accelerate patch cycles across all endpoints.
• Minimize slowdowns and network disruption during patching for a better user experience.
• Strengthen security posture by reducing risk from delayed or missed updates.
• Support timely patching required by public sector and industry frameworks for compliance.

Automation touchpoint examples

Automation can help ensure patch caching policies are applied consistently and measured properly across all sites. Below are some automation examples for MSPs and IT administrators to reduce manual effort and gain visibility into caching performance:

• Automate policy rollout using NinjaOne or Intune: Use a standard script or profile to push your DO and cache settings to all devices or specific sites. Here’s a sample script:

💡 Note: Run the script with administrator privileges. Replace the Group ID with a valid GUID unique to each branch or site.

This enables peer-to-peer sharing within defined cache groups, assigns a Group ID to devices in the same branch or office to share updates locally, and defines a cache size limit (20% of the system drive in this example) to control how much disk space DO uses for storing updates.

• Schedule weekly metric collection using a simple PowerShell task: Capture DO stats once a week (e.g., bandwidth saved, peer activity) and send results back to a central share or your RMM.
• Auto-generate ROI dashboards for compliance: Feed the weekly metrics into a dashboard (e.g., NinjaOne reports, Excel, Power BI), then use scheduled emails or QBR-ready snapshots to show stakeholders immediate value.

NinjaOne integration

NinjaOne includes a built-in patch caching feature that reduces bandwidth use by designating one or more Windows devices as local cache servers. When a patch is first downloaded from Microsoft, it’s stored in a cache folder on the designated server. Other devices on the same network then retrieve the patch from that local cache instead of downloading it again from the internet.

This setup accelerates patch deployment, conserves bandwidth, and simplifies patch management across remote or branch sites. Unlike WSUS, NinjaOne’s patch caching focuses solely on storing patch binaries and doesn’t require a dedicated Windows Server. Any managed Windows device can act as a cache server, and NinjaOne automatically directs endpoints to the nearest available cache based on proximity and network performance.

For setup guidance and configuration details, see this patch caching documentation.

Making patch caching work for you

Patch caching is a great tool for MSPs and IT administrators to deliver timely updates without putting strain on the network in bandwidth-constrained environments. With various solutions available, they can accelerate patch cycles and create a smooth user experience.

Related topics:

• Patching Smarter, Not Just Faster: How Autonomous Patch Management Reduces Risk
• Patch Caching: Patch Smarter and Faster
• How to Specify Delivery Optimization Download Mode in Windows 10/11