Cache Engine

Cache Engine

Blueprints often download payloads to install software, and those payloads can be large. To avoid downloading the same file from the internet over and over (taxing your WAN), set up a Cache Engine on your LAN to serve those files locally. Agents behind the same WAN IP as a Cache Engine check it for payloads before reaching out to the internet.

How an Agent Uses the Cache Engine

• The agent reads the Blueprint instructions.
• If a payload is required, the agent checks whether a Cache Engine is available.
• If the Cache Engine has the payload, the agent grabs it locally and skips the internet trip.
• If not, the agent downloads from the internet payload URL.

Payloads are always validated against the payload’s checksum, whether they come from the Cache Engine or the internet. A file that fails the checksum is rejected and not used.

Currently the sync script runs on Windows 10 / Server 2012 and above, though the actual file storage can be a NAS or writable share. The Windows machine running the script needs write access to the storage to post payload files for agents to download.

Set Up a Cache Engine

Click Add New Cache Engine and provide:

• Name — for your convenience (e.g., the server or site name).
• Public IP — where the cache sync script runs from. Syncs from other IPs are rejected to resist spoofing.
• Cache UNC — the path assets use to copy payload files from (must be read-accessible to them).
• Username / Password — credentials agents use to access the files. A read-only account is recommended. Format the username as machinehostname\username or domain\username for your environment.

After saving, press Turn On. The status shows an error until a successful sync occurs — and also if there’s been no sync for at least four hours, or if a payload checksum fails.

Scheduled Sync Script

• With the correct organization selected, download the PowerShell script from Settings → Software Downloads.
• Place it in an administrative location where ordinary users can’t modify it.
• Gather your Org ID, your Cache Engine ID, and the writable storage path.
• Create a Task Scheduler task named “Panel - Cache Engine”: run whether logged on or not, with highest privileges, triggered daily and repeating every hour. Optionally stop it if it runs longer than a day.
• Program: powershell; Arguments: -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -NonInteractive -Command “& 'path\to\script' 'ORG GUID' 'CACHE ENGINE GUID' 'PATH TO CACHE SHARE'”

Watch the quoting: single quotes around each GUID and the local path, and double quotes right after -Command and at the very end. Run the task, then refresh Panel — the Cache Engine status turns green with a sync timestamp. Use View Sync Report to see which Modifier payloads are cached, where, and their checksum status.

Common Questions

Why use a Cache Engine?
To stop repeatedly pulling the same large payloads over your WAN — agents fetch them locally instead.

Are cached files validated?
Yes. Every payload is checksum-validated regardless of source; a mismatch is rejected.

Why is the status red?
No successful sync yet, no sync in the last four hours, or a payload checksum failed.

Can the storage be a NAS?
Yes. The script runs on Windows, but the file storage can be a NAS or writable share the script can write to.

My sync task fails — common cause?
Quoting in the arguments. Check the single quotes around the GUIDs and path and the double quotes around the -Command value.