VMware ANYWHEREUSB - TECHNICAL USB Guida

VMWARE TECHNICAL NOTE

VMware ESX Server

Using AnywhereUSB

to Connect USB Devices

Digi International’s AnywhereUSB® Remote I/O Concentrator is a remote networking solution

that utilizes USB over IP technology, called RealPort® USB, to enable you to connect USB devices

over a network.

This technical note explains how you can use AnywhereUSB to send USB data over an Ethernet

or wireless IP network to a virtual machine running on VMware ESX Server, so you can support

nearly any USB device through the virtual machine’s standard Ethernet interface. This Ethernet-

attached solution, supported by Digi International, provides five USB ports to connect

peripheral devices such as bar-code scanners and receipt printers.

AnywhereUSB also breaks the traditional 5 meter distance limitation between USB device and

host. Now USB devices may be located anywhere on a wired or wireless LAN — without a local

attachment to a host PC. Since the host virtual machine and the VMware server system where it

is running may be located remotely, AnywhereUSB enables devices to be deployed in harsh or

nonsecure environments, making it ideal for point-of-sale devices, kiosks, surveillance, industrial

automation, or any mission-critical enterprise application.

This technical note covers the following topics:

•Understanding RealPort USB Technology on page 1

•Installing AnywhereUSB on page 3

•AnywhereUSB and ESX Server Go to Work on page 6

•Support on page 7

Understanding RealPort USB Technology

Many of today's key business applications were written to talk to USB devices that are directly

connected to servers. To serve their customers better, businesses have found it necessary to

locate USB devices in places that are not always close to servers or PCs or to connect them to

virtual machines provided by VMware server software.

Using RealPort USB software in conjunction with the AnywhereUSB network-enabled USB hub,

users can connect USB devices anywhere on the LAN. The solution is seamless — the USB

This technical note has been developed in cooperation with

Digi International, Inc.

Using AnywhereUSB to Connect USB Devices

devices appear as though they are plugged directly into the host PC or virtual machine, when

they are actually connected to an AnywhereUSB concentrator anywhere on the network. This

ensures compatibility with existing applications without any modifications

RealPort USB software is unique among USB extender solutions. It is the only implementation

that allows multiple connections to multiple USB ports over a single TCP/IP connection. This

means that USB devices may be placed anywhere a network connection exists. Also, RealPort

USB supports as many USB devices over the network as the virtual machine would if the devices

were directly connected to the host system.

RealPort USB also provides connection recovery. If there is a network interruption, RealPort USB

automatically reconnects the device to the virtual machine’s USB port. RealPort USB offers

extensive operating system support, including support for Microsoft Windows Server 2003,

Windows XP, and Windows 2000.

The diagram below illustrates the use of various USB devices, connected through an

AnywhereUSB concentrator to a virtual machine running on a VMware server system.

VMware

ESX Server

RealPort USB

software drivers

Ethernet LAN

USB

Credit

card

reader

AnywhereUSB

USB

TCP/IP

10/100 Ethernet

Bar-code

scanner

Receipt

printer

Alphanumeric

cash register

Using AnywhereUSB to Connect USB Devices

Features and Benefits of RealPort USB

Features of the RealPort USB technology support your remote USB solutions in a variety of ways.

RealPort USB comes standard with Digi's AnywhereUSB network-enabled hub.

Architecture of the Solution

AnywhereUSB supports USB at the level of the individual virtual machine. That is, each virtual

machine that requires USB device support has one or more AnywhereUSB concentrators

connected to that virtual machine. You install drivers for the concentrators in the guest

operating system running in the virtual machine, as illustrated in the diagram below.

You then connect USB devices to a concentrator. The AnywhereUSB driver installed in the guest

operating system manages the connection between the device and the guest.

Installing AnywhereUSB

The basic steps to set up an AnywhereUSB concentrator and connect it to virtual machines

running on ESX Server are outlined in this document. For additional detail, see the AnywhereUSB

Remote I/O Concentrator Installation Guide from Digi International.

Feature Benefit

USB connections over any IP network Extends USB cabling distance beyond 5 meters.

USB peripherals may be anywhere.

Transparent network connection USB ports appear to be locally attached and provide

same Plug and Play user experience as onboard USB

ports.

Connections to multiple USB ports over a single TCP/IP

connection

Reduces overhead compared to other USB extenders.

Multiple AnywhereUSB hubs per virtual machine Virtually unlimited numbers of extended USB ports.

Supports bulk or interrupt mode devices Compatible with hundreds of different USB products.

Connection recovery Provides fault tolerance for network failures.

Connections to back room server Increases security.

Comprehensive OS support Compatible with nearly any Windows program.

Application

Intel architecture

VMware virtualization layer

Operating

system

AnywhereUSB

driver

ApplicationApplicationApplicationApplication

Operating

system

Operating

system

Operating

system

Service

console

AnywhereUSB

driver

AnywhereUSB

driver

AnywhereUSB

driver

Using AnywhereUSB to Connect USB Devices

Cabling AnywhereUSB

To connect the AnywhereUSB Concentrator to a network, connect a standard Ethernet network

cable to your AnywhereUSB. Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to a 10/100BaseT

switch or hub. Be sure your network is configured so the guest operating system in your virtual

machine can connect to the concentrator, as described in the AnywhereUSB Remote I/O

Concentrator Installation Guide.

Special Steps for VMware ESX Server Virtual Machines

Since ESX Server does not provide direct support for USB, USB drivers are not installed in the

guest operating system by default. The AnywhereUSB device depends on the USB core files to

install properly.

To enable the rest of the installation to proceed normally, copy and rename the required file

from the original operating system CD.

•Source: usbd.sy_ in the \I386 directory of the CD

•Destination: usbd.sys in the \system32\drivers directory of the guest operating

system

After copying this file, reboot your machine. You can then continue with the normal

AnywhereUSB installation.

Installing the Drivers

You must install a driver for each AnywhereUSB concentrator in the guest operating system of

the VMware virtual machine in which you want to use a USB device connected to the

concentrator. Take the following steps in a Windows XP or Windows 2000 guest operating

system:

1. Insert the AnywhereUSB Driver CD into the CD drive connected to the virtual machine.

2. A welcome screen allows you to install the drivers.

3. Click Install Drivers to start the installationl process. Follow the on-screen instructions to

complete the installation of your AnywhereUSB concentrator.

After you install the drivers, the AnywhereUSB Configuration Utility automatically starts so you

can configure your AnywhereUSB concentrator.

Configuring Your Concentrator

To configure your AnywhereUSB concentrator, launch the AnywhereUSB Configuration Utility

from the Start menu. The utility displays a list of discovered AnywhereUSB Concentrators on

your local subnet. A new AnywhereUSB concentrator has a default IP address of 0.0.0.0.

Using AnywhereUSB to Connect USB Devices

You must configure the Concentrator before it can be used on a network. Take the following

steps:

1. You can identify each concentrator by its IP address. If the concentrator is unconfigured,

you can use the serial number for identification.

2. Double-click the concentrator or select the concentrator and click Configure to set the IP

address, subnet mask, and gateway.

3. Enter a device name that easily identifies the concentrator.

4. To configure the concentrator to use DHCP, select Enable. When DHCP is enabled, you

cannot enter anything in the IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway fields.

5. If you do not have a DHCP server, select Disable and do the following:

a. Enter the IP address and subnet mask. Contact your network administrator for IP address

information.

b. Enter the gateway for your network. In a network using subnets, the gateway is the

router that forwards traffic to a destination outside the subnet of the AnywhereUSB

device.

6. After configuring the concentrator, select a concentrator and click Connect to add the

concentrator’s IP address to the connection list. The guest operating system then attempts

to connect to the concentrator.

7. The Found New Hardware Wizard prompts you to search for the drivers — one time for the

remote hub and two times each for the USB host controllers and the USB root hubs. Select

Install software automatically (Recommended) and click Next in each case. If you get a

warning message indicating that the drivers have not yet passed Windows logo testing,

click Continue Anyway.

You have finished installing AnywhereUSB. Now you can plug USB devices into the

concentrator’s USB ports. These devices and the guest operating system in your ESX Server

virtual machine operate as if the USB devices were locally attached to the server system.

Using AnywhereUSB to Connect USB Devices

Supported Devices

AnywhereUSB has been successfully tested and deployed with a wide variety of USB storage,

HID, and printer devices, as well as a number of other more uncommon devices such as

biometric readers or bulk mode cameras.

Known Issues

Devices

AnywhereUSB does not support isochronous USB devices. This includes most audio devices and

some (but not all) streaming video devices. Bulk mode and interrupt devices are supported. This

includes the vast majority of USB devices on the market today. Digi International provides a

compatibility checker you can use to determine whether your device should work properly with

AnywhereUSB:

www.digi.com/support/index.jsp

AnywhereUSB supports USB 1.1 devices and USB 2.0 devices at USB 1.1 speeds. USB 2.0 high

speed performance is not supported.

Operating Systems

AnywhereUSB is supported on most Windows operating systems. It is not supported on Linux or

Unix platforms.

AnywhereUSB and ESX Server Go to Work

Point of sale (POS) system manufacturers can use AnywhereUSB and ESX Server to take the PC

out of the checkout lane, creating smaller retail stations and simplifying operations with USB

Over IP technology.

Real estate, especially floor space inside a store, is invaluable to a retailer. The smaller the POS

stations, the more room for merchandise, and the higher potential for revenue. A major POS

system manufacturer was searching for a way to build a thinner POS station for a retailer with

three checkout stations per store. The retailer wanted not just a smaller footprint, but also an

easy way to centrally manage each station.

The POS system manufacturer tested the AnywhereUSB/5, a 7-inch-wide network-enabled USB

concentrator, and found that it could take the place of the PC or dumb terminal at each POS

station. Special software drivers are loaded on the back-office server, where all transaction

processing takes place via RealPort USB technology. Each POS station includes one

AnywhereUSB concentrator, which is connected to the LAN over a standard TCP/IP connection.

A bar-code scanner, credit card reader, receipt printer, pole display and alphanumeric cash

Using AnywhereUSB to Connect USB Devices

VMware, Inc. 3145 Porter Drive Palo Alto, CA 94304 www.vmware.com

6,704,925, 6,711,672, 6,725,289, 6,735,601, 6,785,886, 6,789,156, 6,795,966, 6,880,022 6,961,941, 6,961,806 and 6,944,699;

patents pending. VMware, the VMware “boxes” logo and design, Virtual SMP and VMotion are registered trademarks or

trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are registered

trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other marks and names mentioned

herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. Revision20060224 Item: ESX-ENG- Q106-194

AnywhereUSB concentrator appear to be locally attached to the back-office server.

The AnywhereUSB also offered this retailer centralized management, instantly increasing

security and reducing IT support. Since the AnywhereUSB concentrator replaced the PC at each

POS station, less user intervention can occur, reducing data corruption or tampering. It enables

IT to perform maintenance and upgrades at a single server rather than at multiple PCs. This set-

up also provides system redundancy — if the server fails, another server on the network can

take over, reducing system downtime.

Support

This VMware technical note has been developed in cooperation with Digi International. For any

support questions, contact Digi at www.digi.com/support/index.jsp.

Ethernet LAN

USB

Retail

checkout

Back office

Primary server Back-up server

software drivers

AnywhereUSB

TCP/IP

10/100

Ethernet

Credit

card

reader

Bar-code

scanner Receipt

printer

Alpha-

umeric

ash

egister

AnywhereUSB/5

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