6.0.2

On Windows clients, as an alternative to using settings that automatically connect all but excluded devices,
you can edit a configuration file on the client that sets Horizon Client to reconnect only a specific device or
devices, such as smart phones and tablets, to the remote desktop. For instructions, see Using
VMware Horizon Client for Windows.
Disabling USB Redirection
Some highly security-sensitive applications require that USB redirection be disabled. You can disable USB
redirection for all desktop pools, for specific desktop pools, or for specific users in a desktop pool.
Use any of the following strategies, as appropriate for your situation:
n
In View Administrator, edit the USB access policy for a specific pool to either allow or deny access.
n
In View Administrator, after you set the policy at the desktop pool level, you can override the policy for
a specific virtual machine in the pool.
n
When installing View Agent, deselect the USB redirection component. VMware does not recommend
this strategy because it offers less flexibility than using policy settings.
n
Set the Exclude All Devices policy to true, on the agent side or on the client side, as appropriate.
If you set the Exclude All Devices policy to true, Horizon Client prevents all USB devices from being
redirected. You can use other policy settings to allow specific devices or families of devices to be redirected.
If you set the policy to false, Horizon Client allows all USB devices to be redirected except those that are
blocked by other policy settings. You can set the policy on both View Agent and Horizon Client. The
following table shows how the Exclude All Devices policy that you can set for View Agent and
Horizon Client combine to produce an effective policy for the client computer. By default, all USB devices
are allowed to be redirected unless otherwise blocked.
Table 14‑1. Effect of Combining Exclude All Devices Policies
Exclude All Devices Policy on View
Agent
Exclude All Devices Policy on
Horizon Client
Combined Effective Exclude All
Devices Policy
false or not defined (include all USB
devices)
false or not defined (include all USB
devices)
Include all USB devices
false (include all USB devices) true (exclude all USB devices)
Exclude all USB devices
true (exclude all USB devices)
Any or not defined Exclude all USB devices
If you have set Disable Remote Configuration Download policy to true, the value of Exclude All Devices
on View Agent is not passed to Horizon Client, but View Agent and Horizon Client enforce the local value
of Exclude All Devices.
These policies are included in the View Agent Configuration ADM template file (vdm_agent.adm). For more
information, see “USB Settings in the View Agent Configuration ADM Template,” on page 175.
Using Log Files for Troubleshooting and to Determine USB Device IDs
Useful log files for USB are located on both the client system and the remote desktop operating system. Use
the log files in both locations for troubleshooting. To find product IDs for specific devices, use the client-side
logs.
If you are trying to configure USB device splitting or filtering, or if you are trying to determine why a
particular device does not appear in a Horizon Client menu, look in the client-side logs. Client logs are
produced for the USB arbitrator and the Horizon View USB Service. Logging on Windows and Linux clients
is enabled by default. On Mac OS X clients, logging is disabled by default. To enable logging on Mac OS X
clients, see Using VMware Horizon Client for Mac OS X.
Chapter 14 Using USB Devices with Remote Desktops
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