Managing Branch Reflectors

Using Mirage branch reflectors promotes efficient distribution to branch offices and remote sites where multiple users share the WAN link to the data center. You can enable the branch reflector peering service on endpoint devices that are installed with a Mirage client.

The branch reflector downloads base layer images, app layers, driver files, and USMT files from the Mirage server and makes them available for transfer to other Mirage clients in the site. Only files that reside on the branch reflector machine's disk are transferred and files are not requested from the Mirage server at all.

In this way, files are downloaded to the branch reflector only once, and common files across base layers become readily available to other clients without duplicate downloads.

Table 1. Managing Branch Reflectors

Option	Description
Sync	Starts the upload to the CVD.
Suspend	You can suspend network communications with the server for the branch reflectors and for regular endpoint devices. Suspending network operations for a branch reflector still allows peer clients to download layer files from the branch reflector cache, but the branch reflector cannot download new files from the server.
Resume	When you resume network operations, the branch reflector or the individual endpoint device can communicate with the Mirage server cluster.
Restart	Restart the branch reflector device.
Disable Branch Reflector	When a branch reflector is disabled, the device is deleted from the branch reflectors list. But it continues to be available because an endpoint device remains as a regular Mirage endpoint in the device inventory. When a branch reflector is disabled, its base layer cache is deleted.
Rebuild Local Cache	Clears the cached files on the branch reflector machine.
Configure	Use the Configure feature to configure specific branch reflector values.
Reject Peers	When the branch reflector is operating slowly or is using excessive bandwidth, you can stop providing service to its peer clients. You can resume providing service to the peer clients of a paused branch reflector at any time. When you use the Reject Peers feature, the branch reflector is not deleted from the branch reflectors list. The branch reflector cache is preserved.
Accept Peers	Use the Accept Peers feature to resume providing service to the peer clients of a paused branch reflector.
Collect Logs	Collects logs on the branch reflector device.