craigrow : Windows Driver Kit

Device Selection Scripting Object, MSDN Wikis and WinHEC

craigrow — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 20:29:00 GMT

The WLK docs team release two exciting items last week. The first is the addition of Wiki functionality to the DTM documentation on MSDN. Check it out, you can be a virtual member of the WLK docs team.

The second is the release of the Device Selection Scripting Object white paper. This white paper docs all of the interfaces we use in the Device Manager and provides sample code which will enable you to create your own wrapper around DTM, even your own custom UI. Combined with the WTTCL utility you can now wrap all of your logo testing in your own automation.

Would you like to hear details on how one of our partners has used DSSO and WTTCL to wrap the DTM entirely in their own custom automation? Come to WinHEC. If you're still on the fence wrt attending WinHEC, check out the amount of WLK and logo content available. This is the best WinHEC for logo testing ever.

DTM Specific

DVR-C387/ DVR-C473 : Driver Test Manager: How to use the DTM

CON-H421: Certification Tests for Portable Devices: Workshop

CLN-467: Audio Testing: DTM Best Practices

SVR-T329: Windows Server Logo Testing: Planning

SVR-C330: Windows Server Logo Testing: Implementation

CLN-T352: Audio Testing for Devices and Systems Using DTM

WNS-C444: Logo Program for Storage: Best Practices

DVR-C451: WDTF Based Logo Tests: An In-Depth Look

Logo Program

CLN-T375: Certified for Windows Vista: Customer Awareness

CLN-C376: Windows Vista Logo Program: Directions

CLN-T495: Windows Logo Program: Strategic Directions

CLN-C404: Windows Logo Program: Best Practices

Other Driver Testing

DVR-T388: Building USB Device Simulations with DSF

DVR-T389: Automating Device Testing: WDTF

DVR-T381: Static Analysis and Verification of Drivers

DVR-T382: Static Analysis Tools: PREfast for Drivers

DVR-T407: Driver Verifier: Advanced and Best Practices

</Shameless WinHEC plub>

Next rev of the DTM is available today

craigrow — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:32:00 GMT

The next rev. of the DTM has been released. See the official announcement here. The most significant change to this release is the creation of a new product, the Windows Logo Kit (WLK). Over the last several months we're been breaking the components of the Windows Driver Kit (WDK) necessary for developing drivers apart from the pieces necessary to certify drivers, DTM, logo tests and related docs. The development components will ship as the WDK. They need to sim-ship with the OS. The WLK needs to stay closely sync'd with the logo program which is now on an annual cycle, refreshing each June.

Also in this release, you'll see a lot of work to improve the stability and reliability of both the DTM and the tests. In our recent survey you told us that improving stability and reliability was the highest impact item we could deliver. This is the first step in addressing that ask. One of the other top items was diagnose-ability. The WLK has a new feature which enables our support saff to add troubleshooting information in the field. We do this via the errata mechanism. The errata filters are looking for failures we know to be false and automatically flipping those to be passes for you. In the new release these filters will also look for ture failures then populate the logs with additional information to assist you in troublehsooting those failures. The best part is, we can push out new troubleshooting information at any time via errata.

Finally, the 1.0.a release has previews of the new tests that will be required when the logo program refreshes in June of this year. You may not want to upgrade your production environment to 1.0.a as the 1.0.b release will include the final version of these new tests and you'll be required to use it for submission in the future. However, you should definitely start using 1.0.a in some form to get a preview of the new tests.

Please complete the DTM survey

craigrow — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 20:20:00 GMT

We have posted a short 10 question DTM survey on Connect. Please take a few minutes this week to help us ensure we’re prioritizing features as you would like by completing the survey this week.

Survey is here: https://connect.microsoft.com/Survey/Survey.aspx?SurveyID=3399&SiteID=148

Backup you DTM database

craigrow — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 20:41:00 GMT

One of the most consistent things I've heard from both our internal and external partners since WinHEC is the need for more and better DTM documentation. What we can get into the product is pretty much locked down at this point. However, that won't stop us. We have a number of mechanisms for getting critical documentation out. This is an example, describing DTM database maintenance procedures.

WHQL Log Viewer available

craigrow — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 01:45:00 GMT

The first DTM Power Toy is available for download. This tool opens the packages you create to submit your drivers to WHQL letting you browse through the results and logs. Send feedback on the tool to whqldt@microsoft.com. If things go the way I hope this will be only the first of many DTM Power Toys.

It's official, WinHEC 2007 in the Big Easy

craigrow — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 19:27:00 GMT

This announcement has been made quietly. I guess my Campaign for anything bug Seattle can be retired now.

DTMSupp to continue

craigrow — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 22:22:00 GMT

When I wrote this article I expected to see a lot of complaints about moving all support to a public forum. I had hoped to use those complaints to argue for keeping the alias. The good news is I didn't need that support. The DTMSupp@microsoft.com alias will continue to be available for support issues indefinitely.

DTM Support moving to newsgroup model

craigrow — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:02:00 GMT

DTM support is moving to a newsgroup model which should make the increasing volumes easier to manage. From our support team...

DTM now has a newsgroup:
microsoft.public.windows.hardware_and_drivers.logotesting.dtm

Please start telling DTM customers about this newsgroup. We (DTM Support) will be monitoring the newsgroup to ensure timely response to customer posts. I’ve posted a couple of FAQ posts to get started...We will start transitioning over to this newsgroup as the primary source of support for DTM (instead of dtmsupp@microsoft.com). We expect to decommission the dtmsupp@microsoft.com alias at RC1.

Hardware and driver developer blog list

craigrow — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 07:39:00 GMT

I have no idea how long this list has been available. If you're looking for Windows driver and hardware blogs this is the place to start.

DTM help docs posted for download

craigrow — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 05:52:00 GMT

The current DTM CHM has been posted for download. This is the same documentation you get in the DTM Studio today and is the best source of information on how to setup systems for and run the logo tests.

WinHEC slides

craigrow — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 07:33:00 GMT

The WDK Intro slide deck from WinHEC has been posted here. It is a nice overview of the tools in the kit with an extensive list of pointers to additional documentation. This is a good starting point for someone new to the kit.

Here is a related cnet article that came from WinHEC.

DTMSupp and WDKSupp

craigrow — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 06:24:00 GMT

Steve made mention of the LDKFB alias going away. I'm glad to hear he's had a good experience with the DDKSupp alias. I can tell you that the people on the WDKSupp alias have the same level of commitment and real access to the people on the product team. In fact, we've implemented a twice monthly review of top support issues lead by the WDKSupp team and attended by the key people on the product team.

For WDK users the transition to WDKSupp is a big step in the right direction. It means that, for the first time, people attempting to do logo testing have full-time support professionals at their disposal.

Also, because the LDKFB alias is gone doesn't mean we're not interested in product feedback. Please feel free to use me for that.

High Definition Audio for the Digital Home

craigrow — Wed, 24 May 2006 20:54:00 GMT

I was just handed an advance copy of this book by the authors after my presentation at WinHEC this morning. Chapter 11 has a few paragraphs describing, and recommending, the Windows Driver Kit and Driver Test Manager. I think they did a nice job of providing a concise description and making the case for using the WDK and DTM.

David, Wayne, thanks for the book! I'm just trying to figure out how to display pp. 388-9 in the office so everyone can see it.

New code signing whitepaper

craigrow — Tue, 23 May 2006 20:54:00 GMT

I expect kernel mode code signing will be a hot topic at WinHEC and I expect a lot of good information will start to be delivered as well. For starters, a new whitepaper has been posted. It's the best discussion that I've seen yet on code signing tools and practices. Check it out here.

DTM Screencasts: Just in time for Beta 2

craigrow — Tue, 23 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT

When you get your Beta 2 build of the DTM you'll have a new resource. Below are links to the first series of DTM screencasts. Each is a 15-minute, or so, tutorial on how to do a specific task within the DTM. Please let me know what other topics you'd like to see.