Debugging Tools

A debugging toolset built on Web Services on Devices API (WSDAPI) is available in the Windows SDK and the Windows Driver Kit (WDK). These tools can be used to test the functionality of custom applications written on WSDAPI, or devices and clients written using other Device Profile for Web Services (DPWS) stacks.

The WSD Debug Host (wsddebug_host.exe) and WSD Debug Client (wsddebug_client.exe) tools can be used to inspect the characteristics of DPWS clients or hosts. They can also be used to troubleshoot connectivity or configuration problems. For more information, see WSDAPI Troubleshooting Guide. These tools are only available in the SDK. SDK tools are located in the following directory: <Windows SDK Install Folder>\Bin.

The WSDAPI Basic Interoperability Tool (WSDBIT) can be used to test SOAP-level or transport-level interoperability (that is, ensuring messages are well-formed). This tool is only available in the WDK.

The WSD Debug Client

The WSD Debug Client (wsddebug_client.exe) provides an interactive console that can be used to send and receive WS-Discovery messages, and to obtain metadata. It can also be used to generate and consume raw multicast messages.

The WSD Debug Client operates in one of three modes: multicast, discovery, and metadata.

Mode Description
Multicast In Multicast mode, the WSD Debug Client sends and receives unformatted multicast messages on UDP port 3702, as defined in WS-Discovery. The user may save these SOAP messages in a text file, and may modify and rebroadcast the messages with the WSD Debug Client.
Discovery In Discovery mode, the WSD Debug Client sends and receives formatted WS-Discovery messages. It can display received Hello, Bye, ProbeMatches, and ResolveMatches messages. It can send Probe messages over UDP or HTTP, and Resolve messages over UDP.
Metadata In addition to implementing all of the features of Discovery mode, Metadata mode also attempts to retrieve metadata from devices.

 

For more information, see Using a Generic Host and Client for HTTP Metadata Exchange, Using a Generic Host and Client for UDP WS-Discovery, and Using WSD Debug Client to Verify Multicast Traffic.

The WSD Debug Host

The WSD Debug Host (wsddebug_host.exe) provides an interactive console used to announce the host, respond to client requests, and print diagnostic information.

The WSD Debug Host operates in one of two modes: discovery and metadata.

Mode Description
Discovery In Discovery mode, the WSD Debug Host prints formatted WS-Discovery messages. It also sends Hello and Bye messages, and automatically responds to Probe and Resolve messages.
Metadata In addition to implementing all of the features of Discovery mode, Metadata mode advertises a metadata service and allows clients to connect and perform metadata exchange.

 

For more information, see Using a Generic Host and Client for HTTP Metadata Exchange and Using a Generic Host and Client for UDP WS-Discovery.

WSD Application Development on Windows

WSDAPI Development Tools

WSDAPI Troubleshooting Guide