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FabulaTech Forum USB Solutions USB over Network (Moderators: Andrew, Sergey_Jarovski, Tim_GaliullinFT) Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 2011

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Topic: Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 2011 (Read 6547 times)

ITCL
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Posts: 12

Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 2011
on: May 11^th, 2011, 6:12am

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Hi,

I am running Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 as a host server and am looking (as with many other people) for a good solution for running Windows SBS 2011 (or other earlier versions that use the new backup facility)as a VM and being able to use the inbuilt backup facility.
Firstly, have people been successful in installing the server element via the cmd line interface and configuring it?

Secondly, the backup needs to access 1 or more USB external discs which will be swapped in turn for offsite storage. I just wanted to check if anyone has yet used UoN for this purpose and if so, how does it manage things when one disc is removed and a new one plugged in? Does windows automatically successfully find the newly attached disc and then use it for backup without any user interaction (assuming the first disc is removed) as it does on a native machine?

In my view this is an absolutely necessary capability for my customers when using SBS and until I can find a good reliable solution I do not beleive SBS can be virtualised effectively.

Thanks

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Harry_Mitkov
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Re: Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 20
Reply #1 on: May 11^th, 2011, 6:36am

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Hello,

Answering your questions regarding USB over Network:
1) Yes, it can be installed from cmd (installation file is "msi" package) and it provides a command line control utility.

2)USB over Network has special options for auto-sharing and auto-connecting devices. It works in a following way: Once device was plugged into the physical PC it gets automatically shared via USB over Network Server and USB over Network client on guest OS connects shared device. So guest OS sees the hot plugged device as if it was plugged directly into the system.

If you have more questions please feel free to ask.

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Harry_Mitkov
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Re: Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 20
Reply #2 on: May 11^th, 2011, 6:36am

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ITCL
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Posts: 12

Re: Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 20
Reply #3 on: May 11^th, 2011, 6:44am

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Hi,

Thanks for prompt reply.

You may be aware that in the case of discs that are part of a backup set in SBS, they do not appear as a drive letter in windows explorer as the backup utility hides them to avoid being used by users. Would this have any effect on UoN and how it finds drives?

Do you know of any people who have actually used it in this way?

Do you have a user manual for configuring the sever element that I can download that migth have the commands in it?

Thanks again

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Harry_Mitkov
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Re: Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 20
Reply #4 on: May 11^th, 2011, 6:55am

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Yes, we have a lot of customers who use USB over Network in such way. It does not matter how device appears in the system. USB over Network redirects the whole USB device from host to guest system (actually it disappears from host system) and appears in guest as if it was plugged physically. Any device will behave itself as it does on physical PC without using our software.

As for the user manual a short online tutorial can be found on our website
http://www.fabulatech.com/usb-over-network-server-help/index.html
http://www.fabulatech.com/usb-over-network-client-help/index.html

and two more will be shown to you during the installation of severer and client respectively.

Command line utility is simple to use.
run it with "/?" and you will help will be shown to you.

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ITCL
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Posts: 12

Re: Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 20
Reply #5 on: May 11^th, 2011, 8:18am

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Great. Final point I think, does this work based on USB port or USB device ie if I have 2 discs and swap them on the same USB port (rather than use 2 USB ports)is this deemed one USB licence?
Thanks

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ITCL
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Posts: 12

Re: Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 20
Reply #6 on: May 11^th, 2011, 9:26am

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Have just tried to install on Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 using following command

runas /user:administrator "msiexec /a
c:\users\public\downloads\usbovernetwork\usb-over-network-server.msi"

It then runs for a minute or so with a progress bar and then it finishes with no further messages. However, i don't seem to be able to find where it has installed the program, where will it go by default or should I have specified the location in some way?

thanks

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ITCL
FabulaTech Forum Newbie

Posts: 12

Re: Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 20
Reply #7 on: May 11^th, 2011, 9:37am

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ok, have got somewhere now.

Noticed that another msi was generated in c:\ (not sure why) so did same again but using the /i switch rather than /a and it installed ok asking me where to put it.

I then ran the program (as I had the option to do so) and got a small gui but do not see the usb stick I have connected to server. I was expecting to have to use a cmd prompt, is this not the case now with v4.5.3?

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ITCL
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Posts: 12

Re: Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 20
Reply #8 on: May 11^th, 2011, 12:06pm

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Think I've come across a problem here. If the Hyper-V server is not visible to the VM (ie when the VM has an external network adaptor only)then the client software cannot find a server (hosting the VM) that is sharing the USB as there isn't one! If you use an 'internal' network to allow the VM to see the host machine then you do not have access to an external network.

Can you please explain how this will work in this situation?

Thanks

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Harry_Mitkov
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Re: Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 20
Reply #9 on: May 12^th, 2011, 12:12am

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Hello,
please sorry for delayed reply.

>> does this work based on USB port or USB device
>> ie if I have 2 discs and swap them on the same
>> USB port (rather than use 2 USB ports)is this
>> deemed one USB licence?

USB over Network is able to share USB device and USB port as well (Port sharing technology is available in version 4.6). If you will have 1 USB device shared at the moment of time then you need 1 license for 1 device.

>> i don't seem to be able to find where it has installed
>> the program, here will it go by default or should I
>> have specified the location in some way?

By default USB over Network installs to Program Files/USB over Network
Please look for it there

>> I was expecting to have to use a cmd prompt,
>> is this not the case now with v4.5.3?
There is a separate exe file that launches command line utility.
It is located in folder with USB over Network and is named like "usbclncmd.exe or usbsrvsmd.exe (for client and server)

Our solutions require network connection between server and client part to work properly and unfortunately we can not advise you how to configure Hyper-V. Please contact Microsoft support service to get assistance in configuring it.

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ITCL
FabulaTech Forum Newbie

Posts: 12

Re: Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 20
Reply #10 on: May 12^th, 2011, 7:06am

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Thanks.

Made some progress now, I needed to tick the 'allow management operating system to share this network adaptor' on the VM External Network. I then typed in the servers machine name into the UoN app and it found the USB stick ok.

I am using the trial version at the moment and I swapped the first stick for a second one and shared that and now if I swap the sticks in the same USB port I see the device in explorer in the VM fine. Will this be because the trial version allows multiple devices or is this because I am swapping the device into a single USB port? (i guess the former). If so, am I right to assume that this wouldn't work with a single licence unless I use the later beta version that allows sharing of the USB port for any number of devices that you may attach to it?

Just want to clarify how this would work and to minimise required licences.

Thanks again

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Harry_Mitkov
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Re: Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, UoN and Windows SBS 20
Reply #11 on: May 12^th, 2011, 7:42am

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License limitation is applied to number of devices that are currently shared and connected. So if you have 1 license for 1 device then you will be able to share and connect only 1 device at the moment of time. No matter to what USB port does it plugged. You can plug to your computer up to 127 devices and all of them you can share at the same time BUT only 1 device can be connected by the client.

USP port sharing technology will not allow you to increase the number of shared devices. It is developed for composite devices that may change its hardware VID&PID while using.

Last Edit: May 12^th, 2011, 7:47am by Harry_Mitkov

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