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Microsoft Connected Cache Now Available for Enterprise Use
Microsoft this week announced the general availability of Microsoft Connected Cache (MCC), a built-in Windows capability aimed at reducing Internet bandwidth usage by storing Microsoft content locally within an enterprise's network.
According to the company, the feature is now fully supported and ready for enterprise deployment across Windows 10 and Windows 11 environments.
"As more organizations move to a cloud-native approach to device management, Internet bandwidth consumption has become a major pain point," said Microsoft. "Without on-premises distribution points running Configuration Manager, customers have seen their network bandwidth consumption skyrocket as all their devices attempt to download updates directly from Windows Update over the Internet."
MCC operates by caching content from Microsoft content delivery networks (CDNs) locally within an organization's premises. This includes content from Windows Update, Microsoft Store, Windows Autopilot, Intune and Microsoft Defender updates.
Once enabled, MCC automatically downloads and stores content requested by devices on the network. Subsequent devices receive the same content from the local cache, minimizing Internet usage and download redundancy.
Microsoft noted that MCC only caches content that has been previously requested by devices within the same organization and does not prefetch data or act as a proxy.
MCC is included with Windows 10 version 2004 and later, as well as Windows 11, and does not require additional software installation. The feature leverages Delivery Optimization (DO) as its download protocol and is managed via Microsoft Intune or Group Policy.
Microsoft confirmed that MCC is available for the following editions:
- Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, Education.
- Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, Education.
MCC is not supported on Windows Server editions or Home editions.
Microsoft Connected Cache requirements include:
- Systems running Windows 10 version 2004 (or later) or Windows 11.
- Delivery Optimization must be enabled.
- Devices must be on the same physical network as the MCC host.
- The MCC host must be a device running Windows 10 or 11 with at least 8 GB RAM and 100 GB of available disk space.
The feature is enabled and managed through Microsoft Intune, using the "Delivery Optimization" settings, and the group policy is applied via the "Enable Microsoft Connected Cache" policy. Microsoft also published deployment guidance and performance monitoring tips on its documentation site.
MCC was initially available only through Microsoft Connected Cache server software for ISPs and large enterprises. The GA version now provides the same functionality without requiring separate server infrastructure.
Microsoft said MCC is intended for use in branch offices, school labs, and other locations with limited or costly Internet bandwidth.
To ensure that only authorized devices can access cached content, MCC uses network boundary identification and security tokens. Cached content is encrypted and cannot be accessed directly without the proper DO request headers.