6.5.1

Table Of Contents
USB Compound Devices
For compound devices, the virtualization process filters out the USB hub so that it is not visible to the
virtual machine. The remaining USB devices in the compound appear to the virtual machine as separate
devices. You can add each device to the same virtual machine or to different virtual machines if they run
on the same host.
For example, the Aladdin HASP HL Drive USB dongle package contains three devices (0529:0001 HASP
dongle, 13fe:1a00 Hub, 13fe:1d00 Kingston Drive). The virtualization process filters out the USB hub. The
remaining Aladdin HASP HL Drive USB dongle devices (one Aladdin HASP dongle and one Kingston
Drive) appear to the virtual machine as individual devices. You must add each device separately to make
it accessible 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. See USB Configuration from a Client 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 toolbar menu.
What to do next
You can now add the USB device to the virtual machine. See Add USB Devices from a Client Computer
to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Web Client.
Add a USB Controller to a Virtual Machine in the
VMware Host Client
USB controllers can be added to virtual machines to support USB passthrough from an ESXi host or from
a client computer to a virtual machine.
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
VMware, Inc. 165