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usbvirtual-machinevmwarevirtualization
Oliver
Oliver

Reputation: 11597

Nested redirection of USB devices in VMware Horizon View?

In my system I have a thin client machine that uses PCoIP to connect to a remote virtual machine (VM1). Inside that virtual machine, I then use PCoIP again to connect to another virtual machine (VM2). I want to make it possible for a USB device connected to the thin client to be redirected/passed through to VM2.

Here is a simple diagram:

Thin Client <---- USB Stick
     |
     |
     V
Virtual Desktop (VM1)
     |
     |
     V
Remote System (VM2)

I can successfully pass through a USB device from the thin client to VM1, however I can't seem to then pass the USB device from VM1 through to VM2. The device simply does not appear as an option to be sent, and reading the logs I can't find anything related to the device being filtered, rejected, or erroring.

The USB device appears in the device manager on VM1 as expected, and all its parameters, IDs, etc are correct (the same as when plugged directly into a physical machine) but for some reason I can't seem to bridge the device through to the second VM.

I suspect the cause is one of:

Either way, I have no idea of how to resolve this.

Any ideas?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1827

Answers (2)

sanshi_leilei
sanshi_leilei

Reputation: 89

It does not work. You are trying to redirect the redirected usb device to second level desktop. This scenario is called nested VM.

Why it does not support now may because:

  1. On view agent desktop. There is vmware-usb service. Which is used to create a virtual usb device and also receive the usb call from pcoip/rdp.
  2. On the view client machine. There is also two vmware-usb services. To grab the usb device to remote desktop. So after install view client on virtual desktop. They may have conflict.

I tested on vmware view 6.0. The view client usb redirection feature cannot be installed on vmware view agent.

Technical speaking this can be resolved. But may not easy.

Upvotes: 0

Dzmitry Savinkou
Dzmitry Savinkou

Reputation: 5190

It would be great if you provide VMware Horizon View/vSphere version of your infrastructure and Thin client details (Windows Embedded or Linux).

According to the documentation:

USB Redirection and the RDP and PCoIP Display Protocols View USB redirection works independently of the display protocol, and works with both RDP and PCoIP remote display protocols. USB traffic uses TCP port 32111 for both RDP and PCoIP sessions.

As far as I know, VMware Horizon View uses network redirect USB Request Blocks URBs on client machine (in our case thin client) to passthrough USB device to virtual machine VM1. Then you use Horizon View Client on VM1 to connect and passthrough USB device to VM2, but since you don't have URB on VM1 (thin client has it by default) - I guess you are not able to forward it to VM2.

As a troubleshooting scenario - I would try add USB controller and than device to a ESXi host where VM1 lives and try to passthrough to VM2 when it appears in VM1 hardware inventory. But not sure if licensing allows that in vSphere.

Upvotes: 1

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