General DTM Concepts

Note  This content applies to the Windows Logo Kit (WLK). For the latest information using the new Windows Hardware Certification Kit (HCK), see Windows HCK User's Guide on the Windows Hardware Dev Center.

DTM executes jobs and jobs are comprised of individual tasks, such as open a file, save a file, and close a file.

You use DTM Studio to schedule jobs. The DTM controller then executes these jobs on an available client. The controller schedules a client to execute a job only if the client meets the job's requirements, such as a specific display adapter or minimum amount of system memory.

Controllers continually schedule jobs to execute on client computers. When a client executes a job (whether the job passes or fails), the results of the job are stored back to a controller. The controller can then schedule the client to run another test. You can then examine the job results in DTM Studio to determine the source of any failures.

Testers can leverage a greater number of clients and increase a driver's testing coverage with DTM because multiple testers can use DTM Studio (from their respective computers) to create and schedule jobs. Controllers then handle distributing jobs from multiple testers automatically to clients as clients become available.

Scenarios

You can use DTM in a small lab environment, comprised of a minimum of two computers, or you can use DTM in large labs with dozens of computers.

When you set up and configure DTM, you must allocate at least one computer on which to install the DTM Controller. You can allocate up to 150 clients per controller. However, for performance reasons, Microsoft recommends that you allocate no more than 30 clients per controller.

For example, in a small lab, you might have 5 to 10 computers on which to test a driver. Set up one computer as a controller, one with DTM Studio installed, and the remaining computers with DTM Client installed. In larger labs, you can allocate dozens of clients to a controller. For each set of computers per controller, each tester should install DTM Studio on their primary work computer. Then, you can work with the other testers to create and schedule jobs for the drivers that you are responsible for testing by using all the clients available in the lab, and letting the controllers schedule what tests to run on which clients. You and the other testers can share the task of reviewing job results from your primary work computers.

The DTM Controller and Client Organization topic includes more information about DTM setup scenarios.

Build date: 9/14/2012