BranchCache and Windows Update for Business: faster, compliant patching for MSPs. Patch deployment doesn't have to be a slow and arduous process. In this video guide, we present two tools MSPs can use for faster patching, BranchCache and Windows Update for Business. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to NinjaOne's IT Video Hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. How do BranchCache and Windows Update for Business help in patch deployment? A common challenge MSPs face when deploying patches is speed. In multi-branch organizations, having multiple devices download critical patches simultaneously can consume significant WAN bandwidth, causing a slower user experience and reduced productivity. This is where BranchCache and Windows Update for Business, together with delivery optimization, come in. By leveraging these tools, MSPs can optimize patch delivery and distribution while reducing bandwidth use. How to configure BranchCache for patch distribution. With BranchCache, you can create local caches of update content at your branch offices, reducing WAN bandwidth consumption during patch deployments. To enable BranchCache, open Group Policy Management and navigate to Computer Configuration Policies Administrative Templates Network BranchCache. Then enable the Turn On BranchCache policy and configure either distributed cache mode for smaller branch offices or hosted cache mode for larger offices with a local cache server. Validate the configurations using the Get-BCStatus PowerShell cmdlet or Performance Monitor. How to configure Windows Update for Business policies. With Windows Update for Business, you can control update timing, deployment groups, and compliance deadlines throughout your organization. To configure Windows Update for Business, open Group Policy Management again and navigate to Computer Configuration Administrative Templates Windows Components Windows Update Windows Update for Business. Then configure deferral periods, update rings, and compliance deadlines. If you're managing devices through Microsoft Intune, create an update ring policy in the Microsoft Intune admin center. Afterwards, configure its deferral, user experience, and deadline settings directly in the cloud-based portal. If you're using both BranchCache and delivery optimization, remember that delivery optimization takes precedence on Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices. Configure delivery optimization in bypass mode if BranchCache is intended to serve Windows Update content. How to monitor and validate patching performance. To see if these tools are functioning as intended, you need to track the following metrics. For delivery optimization, open PowerShell and run Get-DeliveryOptimizationPerfSnapThisMonth or Get-DeliveryOptimizationStatus to view peer-to-peer download activity and bandwidth savings. For compliance reporting, go to the Microsoft Intune admin center and review Windows Update for Business reports to track installation success rates and identify devices that are missing compliance deadlines. Lastly, monitor key performance indicators such as total WAN bandwidth saved, reduced time to patch across all offices, and overall alignment with your patch SLAs. With BranchCache and Windows Update for Business, patch deployment and distribution can be done swiftly and efficiently. For more information, check out our official blog post on BranchCache and Windows Update for Business, linked in the description below.