> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://documentation.2pintsoftware.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://documentation.2pintsoftware.com/stifler/operations-and-features/bandwidth-and-traffic-optimization.md). # Bandwidth and Traffic Optimization StifleR is designed to significantly enhance enterprise-wide content distribution: * Greatly reduce the volume of WAN traffic transferred from content servers to remote client systems. * Provide granular monitoring and control over WAN (and LAN) traffic. * Give administrators the ability to optimize network utilization, prioritize traffic, and effectively control bandwidth usage. ### Network traffic reduction Microsoft has embraced peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies as the solution to efficiently disseminate content to millions of managed endpoints around the globe. This started with BranchCache. Since then we've seen the introduction of CM Peer Cache, for the efficient delivery of Configuration Manager content, and, most recently, Delivery Optimization (DO). DO is the default manager for the download and P2P sharing of Windows Updates and Windows Store content between Windows PCs, both locally and even over the internet. For more information on these various P2P solutions, head over to the [2Pint Software website](https://2pintsoftware.com/) and have a dig around — there are all sorts of gems waiting to be uncovered. StifleR enhances the efficiency of content transfers by utilizing and enhancing this built-in Microsoft P2P service infrastructure, including caching, data deduplication, and peer-to-peer sharing of downloaded content at the local network level. Every endpoint that fetches data from a peer saves you WAN-link bandwidth, and saves you costs both directly in WAN charges and indirectly in workplace efficiency. StifleR, combined with Microsoft P2P caching solutions, has a profound effect on where users actually source their content from and the amount of bandwidth consumed in retrieving that content. StifleR eliminates unnecessary repeated downloading of content to many local computers from remote datacenters by, first, limiting the number of clients in a remote location that will download required content, and second, storing an accessible copy of downloaded content in local computers' caches so it can be shared with peer computers immediately or at a later time. #### Data Deduplication These caching solutions also work closely with the Data Deduplication feature of Windows Server to ensure that content is only transferred in its deduplicated form. This further greatly reduces the total volume of content transferred over your corporate WAN links. Data Deduplication is an extremely powerful Windows Server technology that chops up data on a disk into small chunks, which can then be compared. If the data contained in a chunk from one file is identical to a chunk in another file, the chunk is only stored once on disk. The files become reparse points with metadata and links that point to where the file data is located in the chunk store. This indexing extends to download data, so if a chunk is already present in the chunk store, it isn't downloaded again but referenced instead. To understand how much this can help save disk space and data traffic, just think about how much data is duplicated across operating system `.wim` files — taking advantage of this technology alone saves gigabytes at a time in both disk space and network traffic. StifleR takes advantage of this by allowing multilane transfers to take place, where the relatively small amount of deduplicated data required to complete a download can proceed, at reduced bandwidth, in the background, while another larger download uses the full bandwidth allowance as usual. Altogether, this results in a significant reduction in the amount of bandwidth used, and lets users access content much faster than if they were retrieving it from a remote datacenter — happier, more productive users, and a healthier network. #### LEDBAT++ To reduce latency and improve the user experience, Windows implements a low-latency transport protocol called LEDBAT. The LEDBAT algorithm seeks to utilize the available bandwidth on an end-to-end path while limiting the resulting increase in queueing delay on that path — in other words, it uses whatever bandwidth is available without anyone else noticing. LEDBAT does this by detecting changes in one-way delay measurements to limit the congestion that the transfer itself induces on the network. Microsoft describes Low Extra Delay Background Transport (LEDBAT) as follows: > Windows LEDBAT transfers data in the background and does not interfere with other TCP connections. LEDBAT does this by only consuming unused bandwidth. When LEDBAT detects increased latency that indicates other TCP connections are consuming bandwidth, it reduces its own consumption to prevent interference. When the latency decreases again, LEDBAT ramps up and consumes the unused bandwidth. LEDBAT has been around for some years now, and is most famously used by BitTorrent (in their P2P content transfers) and Apple (in their Software Update infrastructure). Now adopted and enhanced by Microsoft as LEDBAT++, it's a bit of a game changer in the world of content delivery and bandwidth management. As of Server 2019 this is a fully supported Windows feature, and is now also included as a delivery option for Configuration Manager content. As it's controlled from the delivery side, it doesn't depend on the client-side operating system, and is simply enabled on the distribution point via a checkbox — similar to how BranchCache was introduced into CM content delivery. It didn't take long for BranchCache to become automatically enabled for all CM content distribution, and we'd expect LEDBAT to go the same way. StifleR is able to manage bandwidth for LEDBAT-aware downloads in much the same way as it does for BITS. For the latest on this technology. ### Bandwidth control If you can't control the technology that your Microsoft management infrastructure uses to transfer content around your enterprise, you simply aren't in control. StifleR enables easy administration of content transfers to Windows client computers in real time, by providing configurable automatic controls over the Microsoft content downloader (BITS, DO, etc.). StifleR can automatically pause or re-prioritize content transfers, while also dynamically limiting or increasing the amount of bandwidth used between your content servers and client systems at any location. This helps ensure that your business-critical network traffic isn't impacted by the day-to-day distribution of the large volume of enterprise content that should ideally move around your network quietly and efficiently every day. StifleR detects whether a client is roaming, connected to the corporate network, connected via VPN, "Well Connected", or simply on its own, and lets administrators control settings and maximize bandwidth efficiency for each of these situations. ### Stop, pause, resume Because StifleR allows for real-time, granular control over your downloads, it gives you the ability to immediately stop, pause, and resume any or all downloads — at the individual client, subnet, site, or enterprise level — through the Dashboards interface or from the command line. No catches; it's that effective. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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