Windows HCK Prerequisites

Before you begin testing, make sure that the test environment meets the necessary requirements. Windows HCK is comprised of two components: an HCK test server and one or more test computers.

• HCK Test server. Often referred to as the controller, a test server has two parts: Windows HCK Controller and Windows HCK Studio. The Controller software is the engine that manages tests that are run on test computers. The Studio software is the management tool that lets you select and schedule tests against any test computer connected to the test server. Controller and Studio are installed from the Windows HCK installation source. Once established, the test server contains separate installers to inllstall a remote Windows HCK Studio and Windows HCK Client.

  One controller governs a collection of client computers. Controllers can manage and access only the client computers that they govern.

• Test computer. Also referred to as a client computer, each one can have a different configuration that's appropriate for various testing scenarios, including different hardware, operating systems, service packs, and drivers. Each test computer can only be associated with one test server. You configure each test computer by running the Windows HCK Client software installer directly from a shared network location on the test server.

Deployment scenarios

There are two deployment scenarios for Windows HCK:

• Domain-joined environment. In a domain-joined environment, a domain controller is present and all computers designated for Windows HCK features are joined to the same domain controller. If you plan to deploy Windows HCK in a domain-joined environment, you need a minimum of three computers: a Windows domain controller, a Windows HCK test server, and one Windows HCK test computer. Make sure that Microsoft Active Directory® is configured and running on the domain controller. Your domain controller and HCK test server cannot be on the same box.

• Workgroup environment. A workgroup environment has no domain controller. If you plan to deploy Windows HCK in a workgroup, you need at least two computers: a test server and a test computer joined to the same workgroup. Don't use the Default Administrator account. In this configuration, you must enable the Guest account.

In addition, consider how you want to organize lab resources to best use the Windows HCK. You need to determine the number of test servers and the number of test computers connecting to them. These decisions are partly influenced by the type of devices or systems that you want to certify.

To test systems and filter drivers, you need at least 1 test server and 1 test computer.

To test external devices, you need at least 1 test server, 1 test computer, and the external device(s) to be tested.

You can choose to allocate fewer controllers, each with multiple clients connected to them, if you want less overhead administering the controllers and clients. A maximum of 150 clients can be connected to a single controller. Alternately, you can allocate more controllers and connect fewer clients to them. This allows any given controller to be more responsive because it has fewer clients communicating with it. For more information, see HCK Controller and Client Organization.

The following image shows an example test environment.

System Requirements

Test server

Test computer

Optional remote/standalone Windows HCK Studio

Additional requirements

You might need to configure additional hardware for the device or system that you're testing. For more info, see the Prerequisites section for each feature that you're testing:

Systems

• System.Client Testing

• System.Fundamentals Tests

• System.Server Testing

Devices

• Device.Audio Testing

• Device.BusController Testing

• Device.Connectivity Tests

• Device.Fundamentals Testing

• Device.Graphics Testing

• Device.Imaging Testing

• Device.Input Testing

• Device.Network Testing

• Device.Media Testing

• Device.Portable Testing

• Device.Storage Testing

• Device.Streaming Testing

Filter Drivers

• Filter.Driver Testing

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