USB with VMWare ESX Server

In a series of posts, I thought I would breakdown and summarize a number of key technology whitepapers related to VMWare's virtualization technologies. The first to review is one called "Using AnywhereUSB to Connect USB Devices". For many IT administrators, including myself, incorporating USB technology into the virtualization environment can be problematic (at best), such as attempting to map the USB device directly through the local hardware and the guest operating system using native drivers. A particular bane to my VMWare existence is the USB security dongle. I hate these things! For now, however, I'll leave the argument as to their necessity to others. In the mean time, they have to be dealt with. What I have often encountered is that the devices will sporadically and spontaneously disappear from the guest operating system, thereby disabling the program that the CEO is attempting to access at that very same moment. An angry phone call and twiddling with the USB dongle for 10 minutes later, the program is up and running for some random period of time. Additionally, if the connection is problematic, many servers only come with USB connectors in the back, which means many trips to the back of the server racks, or dealing with the connection issues possibly induced by a USB extension cable.

I was pleased to see the whitepaper which is co-authored by Digi International.

The whitepaper gives a brief overview of the technology with typical benefits and features pages, along with a quick installation guide, supported devices and known issues. The whitepaper is a mere seven pages long, making it a quick and focused read. The specific focus of the article is on "Point of sale" systems but the technology is naturally applicable and beneficial to other scenarios.