SMB2/3 acceleration optimizes file sharing between Windows clients and servers. For encrypted traffic, SMB signing must be enabled on the server-side SteelHead. This allows for latency and bandwidth optimization, even for encrypted, SMB-signed traffic.

SMB 3.02 is qualified for use with signed, unsigned, and encrypted traffic over both IPv4 and IPv6. However, authenticated connections between a server-side SteelHead and a domain controller are only supported over IPv4.

Delegation mode signing has been deprecated.

For details on SMB specifications, go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc246482.aspx.