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User profile for user: Lukas_VII
Lukas_VII Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

content caching for windows clients

Hallo, I want to know if is possible to setup content cashing iMac on network, on which are connected also windows PC's client's - those clients frequently download by using win application apple flash image's (cca 8GB each) for iPhone and then flash the iPhone in win application - I need to know if such setup can work for caching flash images on content caching iMac, and how exactly it should be setup, what's are requirements for such network

iMac 27″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Oct 24, 2024 10:45 PM

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6 replies
User profile for user: John Galt
John Galt
User level: Level 10
146,630 points

Oct 25, 2024 5:07 AM in response to Lukas_VII

Intro to content caching - Apple Support explains the content caching service is strictly for "... software distributed by Apple and data that users store in iCloud by saving content that local Apple devices have already downloaded." How that can be used for Windows PCs is questionable, but if your iPhones are synched to Windows PCs I suppose it might work:


Sync your Windows device and iPhone, iPad, or iPod - Apple Support


Enable content caching on your Macs and disconnect the PCs from the Internet (not the LAN obviously) and determine if their connected iPhones can download that content locally.


- those clients frequently download by using win application apple flash image's (cca 8GB each) for iPhone and then flash the iPhone in win application ...


Unfortunately that terminology ("win application" and "flash the iPhone") is completely unfamiliar to me.

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User profile for user: Lukas_VII
Lukas_VII Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Oct 29, 2024 2:18 AM in response to John Galt

hallo John,

OK, I will try to explain in more detais my point,


  • the network on which is connected single iMac with service (content caching) - was basically build as windows LAN network with 20 clients (windows PC's) - due to that, all these clients downloas from Apple servers (flash images for iPhones) (and is needed for several clients to download the same flash image) which is then flash (load) in to the iPhone through windows application
  • I add to that netowrk mentioned iMac to casch apple content - but to be honest it is not working and I dont know why.
    • is it casued do to unsuported windows clients?
    • or my netowrk needs some special setting? which?
    • is it casued due to that apple flash images can't be cached?
  • to explain also flash images ((it is iOS system, few weeks ago was published iOS 18.0, now few days ago was published iOS 18.1)) each this system have own image for each iPhone model (11, 11 pro, 11 pro Max - for each model exist flash image in variant 18.0 and another 18.1) - each around 8GB, these are huge data which is downloading each win PC client directly from Apple and my intension was to cach that data to bit free my internet line
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User profile for user: Lukas_VII
Lukas_VII Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Oct 30, 2024 12:18 AM in response to John Galt

Hi John,


thank you for your time and that you are trying to help me,

unfortunately I can't do any from suggested steps,

when I try follow to enterprise support, I received just message, that I am not autorized

and second sugested solution - is not working for me too, or I am not able to check that, in details - becasue when I try following (download iPhone flash image from apple server on one of client windows PC connected to local LAN and internet - it seems that iMac connected to the same network with enabled conten caching is not creating local copy of downloaded file - to be able to share the file for other clients requests) - becasue when I try to download then the same flash image file on other windows PC client - even I disconnect all windows PC clients from internet - request for download the file is rooted again directly to apple server not to content caching iMac (and to be honest I am not able check on contect caching iMac if there exist, or not, copy of the flash image file...)



when I start with my post on that platform, I was hoping that maybe someone already have experience with such topic (unfortunately, I didnt find till now, nothing really usefull, which explain my point) - anyway thanks again for your interest

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User profile for user: John Galt
John Galt
User level: Level 10
146,630 points

Oct 29, 2024 6:08 AM in response to Lukas_VII

Thank you for that detailed explanation. I understand what you want to accomplish.


My understanding of Content Caching is that it is designed to be used on macOS devices (i.e. Macs) in conjunction with Apple device deployment. My personal experience is that it works exactly as described — in that environment. It requires no specific setup and demands no particular network configuration. All Apple devices on that network will download Apple content locally whenever possible, which minimizes the demand place on Apple's servers and (more importantly) on your Internet bandwidth. It just works.


How Content Caching can be leveraged for Windows PCs though is an open question. My initial inclination is to conclude that it is not possible, but don't let that stop you because my personal familiarity with Windows clients is almost nil. However, Apple offers enterprise support that is nearly certain to either answer that question definitively, or to provide specific details describing exactly how to configure Windows clients to support Apple Content Caching.


Start here:


https://enterprise.apple.com/


John Galt wrote:

Enable content caching on your Macs and disconnect the PCs from the Internet (not the LAN obviously) and determine if their connected iPhones can download that content locally.


Even if that initial experimentation proves inconclusive, contact Apple enterprise support because they are likely to have a better idea. Let us know what they have to say.

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content caching for windows clients

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