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USB device access with #HyperV child VMs? YES! #ITCamp

One of the frequent questions we've heard during our IT Camp Events is in regards to virtualizing USB devices for use within child VMs on a Hyper-V host.  While there's no native out-of-box support for this, I did want to call out a third-party solution that I've used with several customers and works great: Digi's Anywhere USB


As a network-attached USB hub, Digi's product provides USB device access over TCP/IP … much like we did with Serial over IP in the old days of dumb terminals, but this time with USB devices instead.  Digi provides driver support for Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2, as well as down-level support for Windows Server 2003. 

NOTE: This solution doesn't support USB storage devices or USB modems, but that's generally not needed when we're talking about Hyper-V because there's usually much better ways to virtualize those devices than using USB devices :-) 

These devices are not enormously expensive and provide a great supportable solution when USB device access is needed from within Virtual Machines.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Also, you can use a software solution, for example - Fabulatech www.fabulatech.com/products.html

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Thanks Denis!  Nice additional suggestion!

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Thanks, It is great to have some options. I have looked at Fabulatech and whilst it fills a gap, it can only get better now that there is competition and other products in this space to provide the same outcome.

  • Anonymous
    January 21, 2014
    In lots of customer discussions, the one thing that comes out often - How does Microsoft Virtualization

  • Anonymous
    May 31, 2014
    Pingback from VMware and Hyper-V comparison | CKINET