Due to the nature of Windows OS, all USB devices are treated as a global resource, they are visible to all users. This becomes a problem when working in multi-user environment of Terminal Server. Although Windows provides means to control access to the system objects, including devices, this is generally not enough to assign a particular device to a particular RDP session.
Redirected USB devices act as if they were attached directly to the server computer. This means that these devices are also global and visible to every user.
With the help of Per-session Device Isolation feature of USB Redirector TS Edition, it is possible to partially solve the problem. USB Redirector TS Edition can isolate user's USB devices in their RDP sessions, so that they are not accessible or visible to other users.
Isolation is currently supported for the following devices:
•Mass Storage devices (USB Flash Drives, USB Hard Drives, etc.)
•HID devices (USB Signature Pads, USB Footpedals, some USB Fingerprint Readers, some USB Smart Card Readers, USB Keyboards, USB Mouses, USB Touchpads, etc.)
Composite USB device is a device with multiple functions. A good example are MFDs which include Printer, Scanner and Copier functions. Another example is a smartphone, which can act like a Mass Storage device and a Modem at the same time.
USB Redirector TS Edition does it's best to provide as much isolation as it can. It will isolate those functions of the device for which isolation is supported. For example, if you have connected a USB Smart Phone which has Mass Storage and Modem functions, the USB Redirector TS Edition will isolate the Mass Storage part and won't isolate Modem part.
Currently, the following limitations apply to the Mass Storage device isolation:
•All the USB drives attached to the server are visible to all users. But only the user that connected the drive can access it.
•The number of USB drives that can be connected simultaneously is limited to the number of available drive letters on the Terminal Server (up to 26).
These devices are fully isolated. All the input is routed to the owner's session and the device is not visible or accessible from other sessions.
To see current isolation status, open USB Device Properties window on the Terminal Server side. USB Redirector TS Edition can show whether the device is fully isolated in the RDP session or only some functions of the device are isolated.
Note. Isolation status may change from Not Active to Active state during USB device driver installation.