Key innovations

This is the StifleR 2.14 (current) release documentation. For other versions, please select the Drop Down list at the Top Left and select the correct version.

Microsoft’s native peer-to-peer technologies - like BranchCache, BITS, and Delivery Optimization - are powerful, but lack the fine-grained control needed to fully protect business-critical bandwidth. StifleR bridges that gap with deep visibility and dynamic control over how content is delivered across your network.

Bandwidth Control

Out of the box, Microsoft’s Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) allows only broad, static control over bandwidth usage based on generic job priority levels. For example, user-initiated Configuration Manager (CM) downloads default to Foreground Priority, which consumes all available bandwidth - regardless of the importance of other traffic or policies in place.

StifleR steps in to give administrators real power over these transfers:

• Per-job bandwidth and priority controls – Override Microsoft defaults and set custom priorities for specific job types, content categories, or delivery scenarios.

• Real-time policy enforcement - Adjust transfer settings dynamically through the StifleR agent, down to the individual download level.

• Centralized management – Apply and refine policies from a single console across your entire device estate.

Dynamic, Latency-Aware Throttling

Setting a job’s priority isn’t enough when multiple clients are pulling content from a remote data center over limited WAN links. Static bandwidth caps often lead to congestion, bottlenecks, and a degraded user experience.

StifleR goes beyond simple limits by:

• Monitoring live network latency during transfers.

• Automatically adjusting transfer speeds to keep traffic within customizable QoS boundaries.

• Prioritizing critical services and ensuring that background downloads never starve business operations.

Whether it’s software distribution, updates, or user-driven downloads, StifleR gives you intelligent control over every byte - ensuring high performance for end users and peace of mind for IT.

Single Site Download

StifleR revolutionizes how content is distributed across distributed networks by introducing intelligent, dynamic leadership roles - Red Leaders and Blue Leaders - to manage downloads efficiently and reduce WAN saturation.

Instead of allowing every client in a subnet to simultaneously pull updates or applications from remote servers, StifleR designates a Red Leader - the most suitable client in that subnet - to act as the primary downloader. This client fetches the required content and then redistributes it locally using Microsoft’s native peer-to-peer caching protocols such as BranchCache or Delivery Optimization. This “single-source-per-subnet” approach dramatically minimizes redundant WAN traffic and accelerates delivery times for all clients on the local network.

But StifleR doesn’t stop there. In multi-subnet environments, Blue Leaders are elected to coordinate content sharing across subnet boundaries. These Blue Leaders listen for local discovery broadcasts and forward them to their counterparts across the site, enabling cross-subnet peering. The result: content is downloaded once to the site and shared seamlessly between all peers across the LAN - no matter how segmented the local network might be.

This model delivers powerful benefits:

• Reduction in WAN usage, especially during large-scale deployments or updates.

• Faster delivery times by leveraging the fastest, best-connected clients.

• Dynamic bandwidth conservation, where non-leader clients throttle back to prevent link saturation.

• Complete visibility and control over which clients act as distribution points, all managed in real-time through the StifleR Dashboard.

By managing content delivery this way, StifleR ensures that your business-critical bandwidth stays available while maximizing the efficiency of Microsoft’s native content distribution stack.

Microsoft Protocols & How StifleR Enhances Them

StifleR doesn’t rely on its own proprietary data transfer engine. Instead, it enhances and optimizes Microsoft’s native peer-to-peer and content delivery services. By layering intelligent controls on top of these technologies, StifleR delivers superior performance and centralized management - without replacing the underlying mechanisms.

BranchCache

BranchCache is a tried WAN optimization technology embedded in Windows, that reduces the amount of bandwidth consumed by allowing clients within a site to cache and share content locally. Limitations in Microsoft’s native implementation of BranchCache limit its usability in more difficult network configurations due to the reliance on broadcast-based peer discovery.

StifleR solves this problem by adding centralized control, and an expanded peer discovery method. Administrators can centrally configure and administer BranchCache peering policies allowing localized content sharing not only within a single subnet, but also across well-connected subnets at a site, extended the local peer-to-peer content exchange.

2Pint Software took this a step further by developing a tool to leverage the BranchCache functionality in the winPE space, so that peer caching could be utilized during the Operating System Deployment (OSD) phase. This brought dramatic reductions in build times, as well as WAN utilization, when PC imaging and refreshing, but more importantly, a significant advantage for businesses in a remote or constrained bandwidth location

Key Benefits:

• Centralized control over BranchCache behavior and peering scope.

• Peer-to-peer sharing across subnet boundaries, not just within a single broadcast domain.

• Full utilization of BranchCache even in WinPE, improving OSD efficiency and scalability.

• Seamless integration into existing Microsoft content distribution workflows.

With StifleR, BranchCache becomes more than just a background efficiency tool - it evolves into a strategic asset for fast, bandwidth-aware content delivery across your enterprise.

Delivery Optimization (DO)

Delivery Optimization (DO) is Microsoft’s modern, HTTP-based peer-to-peer (P2P) content delivery technology designed to reduce network load by sharing content between devices or offloading downloads to a local caching server. It plays a central role in the distribution of Windows Updates, Microsoft Store apps, Intune content, and more - especially in Windows 10 and later.

While DO operates largely under the orchestration of Microsoft’s cloud services, StifleR brings local intelligence and control to the process, transforming DO into a fully manageable enterprise-grade solution.

What StifleR Adds to DO:

• Custom Peer Group Management: Define logical, location-aware peering boundaries so content is shared only among the most relevant clients - whether that’s per site, subnet, or organizational unit.

• Policy Enforcement: Apply consistent configuration across your environment, ensuring Delivery Optimization behaves in line with corporate standards and network constraints.

• Real-Time Visibility & Reporting: Monitor when and where DO is being used, track peer-sharing effectiveness, and validate that content delivery is functioning efficiently - all through the StifleR Dashboard.

Key Benefits:

• Minimizes WAN usage by maximizing local peer-to-peer content sharing.

• Increases efficiency and predictability of DO behavior across varied network environments.

• Provides the operational insight and controls that native DO lacks, especially for larger or more distributed organizations.

With StifleR managing your DO infrastructure, you gain enterprise-level governance over Microsoft’s peer-assisted delivery platform - unlocking its full potential while safeguarding bandwidth and user productivity.

Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)

Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is a Windows service that to perform background file transfers using idle network bandwidth. Its purpose is to minimize disruption by throttling downloads so that they don’t interfere with applications or user activity.

BITS is useful for pushing content silently in the background, while there are limited native controls - particularly in enterprise scenarios where policies must be consistent, precise, and visible.

What StifleR Adds to BITS:

• Centralized Bandwidth Policy Management: Develop bandwidth usage rules across sites, subnets, and network zones that prevent BITS from overwhelming all available bandwidth - especially across limited WAN links.

• Granular Throttling Controls: Go beyond BITS’s default behavior with the ability to set usage thresholds based on content type, time of day, or job priority.

• Visibility into Job Activity: Monitor BITS traffic in real time, giving IT teams the insight they need to adjust policies dynamically and respond proactively to congestion issues.

Key Benefits:

• Prevents low-priority downloads from competing with mission-critical traffic like video calls, POS transactions, or software deployments.

• Ensures consistent BITS behavior across diverse networks and client configurations.

• Provides the governance and control BITS lacks natively - reducing risk, increasing efficiency.

With StifleR acting as the policy and visibility layer for BITS, organizations can fully leverage its strengths while eliminating its blind spots - ensuring content moves efficiently without compromising other key services.

LEDBAT

LEDBAT (Low Extra Delay Background Transport) is Microsoft’s latency-sensitive protocol for background data transfers. It is designed to scale data throughput automatically based on network conditions in real-time, using only available bandwidth, and deferring immediately to higher-priority traffic as it occurs.

LEDBAT can be very beneficial in Configuration Manager distribution points, which require large amounts of content data to be transferred in a way that does not disrupt important and/or critical business activity

Native LEDBAT Limitations: By default, LEDBAT operates silently, with little to no built-in reporting or control. Administrators often lack visibility into which transfers are using LEDBAT or how it's impacting performance.

How StifleR Enhances LEDBAT Functionality:

• Transfer-Level Visibility - StifleR identifies and reports which content transfers are using LEDBAT, providing a clear view of background bandwidth activity.

• Performance Monitoring - Real-time telemetry shows how LEDBAT behaves across endpoints, helping teams evaluate its effectiveness and tune policies accordingly.

• Operational Confidence - With full insight into LEDBAT traffic, administrators can trust background transfers to remain non-intrusive and aligned with business priorities.

Outcome: StifleR transforms LEDBAT from a passive background feature into an actively monitored and controlled component of your enterprise content delivery framework.