6.0

Table Of Contents
USB 3.0 Device Limitations
USB 3.0 devices have the following requirements and limitations:
n
The virtual machine that you connect the USB 3.0 device to must be configured with an xHCI controller
and have a Linux guest operating system with a 2.6.35 or later kernel.
n
You can connect only one USB 3.0 device operating at superspeed to a virtual machine at a time.
n
USB 3.0 devices are available only for passthrough from a client computer to a virtual machine. They
are not available for passthrough from an ESXi host to a virtual machine.
Avoiding Data Loss
Before you connect a device to a virtual machine, make sure the device is not in use on the client computer.
If the vSphere Client disconnects from the vCenter Server or host, or if you restart or shut down the client
computer, the device connection breaks. It is best to have a dedicated client computer for USB device use or
to reserve USB devices connected to a client computer for short-term use, such as updating software or
adding patches to virtual machines. To maintain USB device connections to a virtual machine for an
extended time, use USB passthrough from an ESXi host to the virtual machine.
Connect USB Devices to a Client Computer
You can connect multiple USB devices to a client computer so that virtual machines can access the devices.
The number of devices that you can add depends on several factors, such as how the devices and hubs chain
together and the device type.
The number of ports on each client computer depends on the physical setup of the client. When you
calculate the depth of hub chaining, remember that on a typical server the front ports connect to an internal
hub.
The USB arbitrator can monitor a maximum of 15 USB controllers. If your system includes controllers that
exceed the 15 controller limit and you connect USB devices to them, the devices are not available to the
virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Verify that you know the requirements for configuring USB devices from a remote computer to a virtual
machine.
Procedure
u
To add a USB device to a client computer, connect the device to an available port or hub.
The USB device appears in the virtual machine toolbar menu.
What to do next
You can now add the USB device to the virtual machine.
vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client
178 VMware, Inc.