Employing an auxiliary device to implement USB device redirection

A virtual desktop infrastructure (“VDI”) environment comprising:

• a server;
• a client terminal that is configured to establish remote sessions with the server;
• and
• an auxiliary device to which one or more USB devices are connected and that is configured to redirect the one or more USB devices to the server for access by the client terminal from within a remote session established between the client terminal and the server,
• wherein either the server or the client terminal includes a session notifier that sends a first notification to a proxy on the auxiliary device when a remote session is established between the client terminal and the server and sends a second notification to the proxy when the remote session is terminated;
• and
• wherein the proxy is configured to employ information contained in the first notification to identify at least one of the one or more USB devices to redirect to the server, the proxy also being configured to employ the information contained in the first notification to establish a connection with the server over which the at least one of the one or more USB devices is redirected, the proxy further being configured to employ information contained in the second notification to cease redirecting the at least one of the one or more USB devices.

One or more computer storage media storing computer executable instructions which when executed in a virtual desktop infrastructure (“VDI”) environment implement a method for employing an auxiliary device to implement USB device redirection, the method comprising:

• detecting, by a session notifier executing on either a server or a client terminal, that a remote session has been established between the server and the client terminal;
• obtaining, by the session notifier, information about the remote session;
• sending, by the session notifier, a notification to a proxy on the auxiliary device, the notification including the information about the remote session, wherein the auxiliary device, the client terminal and the server are distinct computing devices;
• processing, by the proxy, the information included in the notification to identify one or more USB devices that are to be redirected to the server for access within the remote session established between the server and the client terminal;
• and
• employing, by the proxy, the information included in the notification to commence redirecting the one or more USB devices to the server such that the one or more USB devices are accessible within the remote session established between the server and the client terminal even though the one or more USB devices are coupled to the auxiliary device that is a distinct computing device from the client terminal and the server.