WS-Discovery

Web Services Dynamic Discovery (WS-Discovery) is a technical specification that defines a <a href="/facts/Multicast/D9IspSfl">multicast</a> discovery protocol to locate services on a local network. It operates over <a href="/facts/Transmission_Control_Protocol/WW4sPrt9">TCP</a> and <a href="/facts/User_Datagram_Protocol/dxLU0D6q">UDP</a> port 3702 and uses <a href="/facts/IP_multicast/YklMRaV5">IP multicast</a> address 239.255.255.250 or ff02::c. As the name suggests, the actual communication between nodes is done using <a href="/facts/Web_services/qxrwqB3D">web services</a> standards, notably <a href="/facts/SOAP-over-UDP/HakVht6W">SOAP-over-UDP</a>.
Various components in Microsoft's <a href="/facts/Windows_Vista/IASEUCTB">Windows Vista</a> operating system use WS-Discovery, e.g. "People near me". The component WSDMON in <a href="/facts/Windows_7/tldLdbnX">Windows 7</a> and later uses WS-Discovery to automatically discover <a href="/facts/Web_Services_for_Devices/kCNsbuJT">WSD</a>-enabled network printers, which show in Network in Windows Explorer, and can be installed by double-clicking on them. In <a href="/facts/Windows_8/eRtw96T3">Windows 8</a> or later installation is automatic. WS-Discovery is enabled by default in networked <a href="/facts/Hewlett-Packard/abuNSYNu">HP</a> printers since 2008. WS-Discovery is an integral part of <a href="/facts/Windows_Rally/594oJraB">Windows Rally</a> technologies and <a href="/facts/Devices_Profile_for_Web_Services/9yjKuPc9">Devices Profile for Web Services</a>.
The protocol was originally developed by <a href="/facts/BEA_Systems/3erv9RPV">BEA Systems</a>, <a href="/facts/Canon_Inc./qoWp5I04">Canon</a>, <a href="/facts/Intel/SMF0gJJX">Intel</a>, <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a>, and <a href="/facts/WebMethods/YdUD5Kgz">WebMethods</a>. On July 1, 2009 it was approved as a standard by <a href="/facts/OASIS_(organization)/a2r8y7tX">OASIS</a>.

WS-Discovery open-in-new

WS-Discovery