NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Windows Driver Model

In computing, the Windows Driver Model (WDM) — also known (somewhat misleadingly) at one point as the Win32 Driver Model — is a framework for device drivers that was introduced with Windows 98 and Windows 2000 to replace VxD, which was used on older versions of Windows such as Windows 95 and Windows 3.1, as well as the Windows NT Driver Model. For the formal concept of computation, see computation. ... A device driver, or software driver is a computer program allowing higher-level computer programs to interact with a computer hardware device. ... Windows 98 (codenamed Memphis) is a graphical operating system released on June 25, 1998 by Microsoft and the successor to Windows 95. ... Windows 2000 (also referred to as Win2K) is a preemptive, interruptible, graphical and business-oriented operating system designed to work with either uniprocessor or symmetric multi-processor computers. ... In Microsoft computing, a VxD is a virtual device driver. ... Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. ... The Windows 3. ...

Overview

WDM drivers are layered in a complex hierarchy and communicate with each other via I/O request packets (IRPs). The Microsoft Windows Driver Model defined a unified driver model for the Windows 98 and Windows 2000 lines by standardizing requirements and reducing the amount of code that needed to be written. WDM drivers will not run on operating systems earlier than Windows 98 or Windows 2000, such as Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 3.1. By conforming to WDM, drivers can be binary compatible and source compatible across Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista (for backwards compatibility) on x86-based computers. WDM drivers are designed to be forward-compatible so that a WDM driver can run on a version of Windows newer than what the driver was initially written for, but doing that would mean that the driver cannot take advantage of any new features introduced with the new version. WDM is generally not backward-compatible, that is, a WDM driver is not guaranteed to run on any older version of Windows. For example, Windows XP can use a driver written for Windows 2000 but will not make use of any of the new WDM features that were introduced in Windows XP. However, a driver written for Windows XP may or may not load on Windows 2000. I/O request packets (IRPs) are structures that are used by Windows Driver Model (WDM) and Windows NT device drivers to communicate with each other and the operating system. ... In computer software, an application binary interface (ABI) describes the low-level interface between an application program and the operating system, between an application and its libraries, or between component parts of the application. ... In computing, a device (usually a computer processor) that can run the same source code intended to be compiled and run on another device is said to be source-compatible. ... Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows Me (IPA pronunciation: [miË], [É›m iË]), is a hybrid 16-bit/32-bit graphical operating system released on September 14, 2000 by Microsoft. ... Windows XP is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. ... Windows Server 2003 is a server operating system produced by Microsoft. ... Windows Vista is a line of graphical operating systems used on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, Tablet PCs, and media centers. ... x86 or 80x86 is the generic name of a microprocessor architecture first developed and manufactured by Intel. ... Forward compatibility (sometimes confused with extensibility) is the ability of a system to accept input intended for later versions of itself. ... In technology, especially computing (irrespective of platform), a product is said to be backward compatible (or upward compatible) when it is able to take the place of an older product, by interoperating with other products that were designed for the older product. ... Windows XP is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. ... Windows 2000 (also referred to as Win2K) is a preemptive, interruptible, graphical and business-oriented operating system designed to work with either uniprocessor or symmetric multi-processor computers. ...

WDM exists in the intermediary layer of Windows 2000 kernel-mode drivers and was introduced to increase the functionality and ease of writing drivers for Windows. Although WDM was mainly designed to be binary and source compatible between Windows 98 and Windows 2000, this may not always be desired and so specific drivers can be developed for either operating system. WDM drivers can be classified into the following types and sub-types: In processors with memory protection, kernel mode (as opposed to user mode) is the mode in which the operating system kernel runs. ... In computer software, an application binary interface (ABI) describes the low-level interface between an application program and the operating system, between an application and its libraries, or between component parts of the application. ... In computing, a device (usually a computer processor) that can run the same source code intended to be compiled and run on another device is said to be source-compatible. ... Windows 98 (codenamed Memphis) is a graphical operating system released on June 25, 1998 by Microsoft and the successor to Windows 95. ...

Device function drivers

A function driver is the main driver for a device. A function driver is typically written by the device vendor and is required (unless the device is being used in raw mode). A function driver can service one or more devices.

In computing, a class driver is a type of hardware device driver that can operate a large number of different devices of a broadly similar type. ... A type of hardware-driver, part of the Windows Driver Model. ... In computing, a class driver is a type of hardware device driver that can operate a large number of different devices of a broadly similar type. ... In computing, a class driver is a type of hardware device driver that can operate a large number of different devices of a broadly similar type. ... A type of hardware-driver, part of the Windows Driver Model. ... A type of hardware-driver, part of the Windows Driver Model. ... PCI Express bus card slots (from top to bottom: x4, x16, x1 and x16), compared to a traditional 32-bit PCI bus card slot (bottom) In computer architecture, a bus is a subsystem that transfers data or power between computer components inside a computer or between computers, and a bus... In mathematics and theoretical computer science, an enumeration of a set is a procedure for listing all members of the set in some definite sequence. ... A type of hardware-driver, part of the Windows Driver Model. ... Note: USB may also mean upper sideband in radio. ... A sound card (also known as an audio card) is a computer expansion card that can input and output sound under control of computer programs. ... Scuzzy redirects here. ... A network card, network adapter or NIC (network interface controller) is a piece of computer hardware designed to allow computers to communicate over a computer network. ... In computing, a class driver is a type of hardware device driver that can operate a large number of different devices of a broadly similar type. ...

Bus drivers

A bus driver services a bus controller, adapter, or bridge. Microsoft provides bus drivers for most common buses, such as PCI, PnPISA, SCSI, USB and FireWire. Each software vendor can create their own bus drivers if needed. A bus driver can service more than one bus if there is more than one bus of the same type on the machine. PCI Express bus card slots (from top to bottom: x4, x16, x1 and x16), compared to a traditional 32-bit PCI bus card slot (bottom) In computer architecture, a bus is a subsystem that transfers data or power between computer components inside a computer or between computers, and a bus... This article is about the computer bus type. ... Plug and Play is a term used in the computer field to describe a computers ability to have new devices, normally peripherals, added to it without having to restart the computer. ... Scuzzy redirects here. ... Note: USB may also mean upper sideband in radio. ... The 6-pin and 4-pin FireWire 400 Connectors The alternative ethernet-style cabling used by 1394c FireWire is Apple Inc. ...

Filter drivers

Filter drivers are optional drivers that add value to or modify the behavior of a device and may be non-device drivers. A filter driver can also service one or more devices. Upper level filter drivers sit above the primary driver for the device (the function driver), while lower level filter drivers sit below the function driver and above the bus driver. A Windows driver that adds value to peripheral devices or supports a specialized device in the PC. Either written by Microsoft or the vendor of the hardware, any number of filter drivers can be added to Windows. ... A Windows driver that adds value to peripheral devices or supports a specialized device in the PC. Either written by Microsoft or the vendor of the hardware, any number of filter drivers can be added to Windows. ...

A Windows service is an application that starts when the Microsoft Windows operating system is booted and runs in the background as long as Windows is running. ... A Windows service is an application that starts when the Microsoft Windows operating system is booted and runs in the background as long as Windows is running. ...

VxD, WDM and Windows 98

Windows 98 based operating systems (Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Me) are able to use both WDM and VxD (Virtual device driver) driver standards. Both drivers models can provide unique and different features for the same hardware. However, usually the newer WDM standard provides more features. For example, if a TV tuner card using a VxD driver is able to capture images at a resolution of 384 x 288 pixels, the same TV Tuner card with the WDM driver model may be able to capture at a resolution of 768 x 576 pixels. This can be attributed to the new Broadcast Driver Architecture model which is part of WDM. In Microsoft computing, a VxD is a virtual device driver. ... Hauppauge WinTV TV tuner card One of the first DVB-S2 tuner cards. ... In Microsoft computing, a VxD is a virtual device driver. ... The Broadcast Driver Architecture (or BDA) is a Microsoft standard for digital video capture on their Windows operating systems. ...

Criticism

The Windows Driver Model, while a significant improvement over the VxD and Windows NT driver model used before it, has been criticised by driver software developers [1], most significantly for the following: In Microsoft computing, a VxD is a virtual device driver. ...

There were also a number of concerns about the quality of documentation and samples that Microsoft provided. Power management is a feature of some electrical appliances, especially copiers and computer peripherals such as monitors and printers, that turns off the power or switches the system to a low-power state after a period of inactivity. ... Plug and Play is a term used in the computer field to describe a computers ability to have new devices, normally peripherals, added to it without having to restart the computer. ... Sleep mode, stand by, and hibernation, all refer to a low power mode for electronic devices such as computers. ... User mode refers to two similar concepts in computer architecture. ...

Because of these issues, Microsoft has released a new framework to replace WDM, called the Windows Driver Foundation, which includes Kernel-Mode Driver Framework (KMDF) and User-Mode Driver Framework (UMDF). Windows Vista supports both WDM and the newer Windows Driver Foundation. KMDF is also available for download for Windows XP and even Windows 2000, while UMDF is available for Windows XP. Windows Driver Foundation (WDF) is a Microsoft development group which is building tools to aid in the creation of high-quality device drivers for Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and later editions of Windows. ... The Kernel-Mode Driver Framework (KMDF) is a driver framework developed by Microsoft as a tool to aid driver developers create and maintain Kernel mode device drivers for Windows 2000[1] and later releases. ... The User-Mode Driver Framework is a device-driver development platform first introduced with Microsofts Windows Vista operating system, and is also available for Windows XP. It facilitates the creation of drivers for certain classes of devices. ... Windows Vista is a line of graphical operating systems used on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, Tablet PCs, and media centers. ... Windows Driver Foundation (WDF) is a Microsoft development group which is building tools to aid in the creation of high-quality device drivers for Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and later editions of Windows. ...

See also

Windows Driver Foundation (WDF) is a Microsoft development group which is building tools to aid in the creation of high-quality device drivers for Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and later editions of Windows. ... The Kernel-Mode Driver Framework (KMDF) is a driver framework developed by Microsoft as a tool to aid driver developers create and maintain Kernel mode device drivers for Windows 2000[1] and later releases. ... The User-Mode Driver Framework is a device-driver development platform first introduced with Microsofts Windows Vista operating system, and is also available for Windows XP. It facilitates the creation of drivers for certain classes of devices. ...

References

Microsoft Press is the publishing arm of Microsoft, usually releasing books dealing with various current Microsoft technologies. ... Microsoft Press is the publishing arm of Microsoft, usually releasing books dealing with various current Microsoft technologies. ...

External links

ASIO (Audio Stream Input Output) is a protocol for low-latency digital audio specified by Steinberg. ... MultiMedia Extensions (MME), or Wave API, is a Microsoft Windows API for audio applications to access the soundcards drivers. ... Plug and Play is a term used in the computer field to describe a computers ability to have new devices, normally peripherals, added to it without having to restart the computer. ... The following is a list of Microsoft APIs. ... Desktop Window Manager (DWM) is currently the name for the new windowing system that will be available in all versions of Windows Vista, except Starter Edition, to enable the new Aero user interface. ... Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. ... Direct3D is part of Microsofts DirectX API. Direct3D is only available for Microsofts various Windows operating systems (Windows 95 and above) and is the base for the graphics API on the Xbox and Xbox 360 console systems. ... The Graphics Device Interface (GDI, sometimes called Graphical Device Interface) is one of the three core components or subsystems, together with the kernel and the Windows API for the user interface (GDI window manager) of Microsoft Windows. ... This subsystem is a part of . ... Screenshot of the Color Management control panel which is used to configure Windows Color System settings. ... The Microsoft Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) interface is both an application programming interface (API) and a device driver interface (DDI). ... The Windows Imaging Component (WIC) is a Component Object Model based imaging codec framework introduced in Windows Vista for working with and processing digital images and image metadata. ... DirectSound is software supplied by Microsoft that resides on a computer with the Windows operating system. ... DirectMusic is a high-level set of objects, built on top of DirectSound, that allow you to play sound and music without needing to get quite as low-level as DirectSound. ... In computer music and professional audio creation, a DirectX plugin is a software processing component that can be loaded as a plugin into host applications to allow real-time processing, audio effects, mixing audio or act as virtual synthesizers. ... XACT is an audio authoring tool released by Microsoft as part of XNA. External references http://www. ... This article is about the Speech API. For other uses, see SAPI. The Speech Application Programming Interface or SAPI is an API developed by Microsoft to allow the use of speech recognition and speech synthesis within Windows applications. ... Logo of the DirectX Media SDK - the first time DirectShow was distributed under its current name. ... DirectX Media Objects (DMOs) are COM-based multimedia and data-streaming components. ... Microsoft DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA) is a Microsoft API specification for video decoding that utilises 2-D hardware acceleration on Microsoft platforms (Windows, Xbox etc). ... Windows Media is a multimedia framework for media creation and distribution for Microsoft Windows. ... Media Foundation is set of COM-based Microsoft APIs forming the next generation multimedia application framework and platform infrastructure for Microsoft Windows. ... Trident (also known as MSHTML) is the name of the layout engine for the Microsoft Windows version of Internet Explorer. ... Microsoft XML Core Services (MSXML) is a set of services that allow applications written in JScript, VBScript, and Microsoft development tools to build Windows-native XML-based applications. ... Windows RSS Platform, included in Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Vista is a platform that exposes feed handling and management to Windows applications. ... JScript is the Microsoft implementation of the ECMAScript scripting programming language specification. ... VBScript (short for Visual Basic Scripting Edition) is an Active Scripting language developed by Microsoft. ... Add-on Manager from Windows XP SP2 Internet Explorer A Browser Helper Object (BHO) is a DLL module designed as a plugin for Microsofts Internet Explorer web browser to provide added functionality. ... XMLHttpRequest (XHR) is an API that can be used by JavaScript, and other web browser scripting languages to transfer XML and other text data to and from a web server using HTTP, by establishing an independent and asynchronous communication channel between a web pages Client-Side and Server-Side. ... Microsoft Gadgets are light-weight single-purpose applications that can sit on the users computer desktop, or are hosted on a web page. ... Microsoft Data Access Components (commonly abbreviated MDAC) is a group of Microsoft technologies that interact together as a framework that allows programmers a uniform and comprehensive way of developing applications for accessing almost any data store. ... For JET Red storage engine of Microsoft Access, see Microsoft Jet Database Engine. ... ADO.NET is a set of computer software components that can be used by programmers to access data and data services. ... The ADO.NET Entity Framework, part of ADO.NET components of the . ... Microsoft Sync Framework is a data synchronization platform from Microsoft that can be used to synchronize data across multiple data stores. ... Jet is the database engine behind Microsofts Access. ... Windows Sockets API version 2. ... A Layered Service Provider is part of the Microsoft Windows Winsock 2 interface. ... Network and Internet icon in Windows Vista Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 contain a brand new networking stack, named Next Generation TCP/IP stack,[1] which brings large improvements in all areas of network-related functionality. ... Windows Vista contains a brand new networking stack, which brings large improvements in all areas of network-related functionality[1]. It includes native implementation of IPv6, as well as complete overhaul of IPv4. ... The Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) is an application programming interface (API) for network interface cards (NICs). ... Windows Rally is a set of technologies from Microsoft to simplify the setup and maintenance of wired and wireless network-connected devices and ensure reliable, secure and high-quality connectivity for users who connect the devices to the Internet or to computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system. ... Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is a component of modern Microsoft Windows operating systems that facilitates prioritized, throttled, and asynchronous transfer of files between machines using idle network bandwidth. ... Windows Vista contains a brand new networking stack, which brings large improvements in all areas of network-related functionality[1]. It includes native implementation of IPv6, as well as complete overhaul of IPv4. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... The Telephony Application Programming Interface (TAPI) is a Microsoft Windows API, which provides computer telephony integration and enables PCs running Microsoft Windows to use telephone services. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into cmd. ... The Microsoft Windows Script Host (originally called Windows Scripting Host, but renamed for the second release) is distributed and installed by default on Windows 98 and later versions of Microsoft Windows. ... Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is a set of extensions to the Windows Driver Model that provides an operating system interface through which instrumented components provide information and notification. ... Windows PowerShell is an administration focused extensible command line interface (CLI) shell and scripting language product developed by Microsoft. ... This article is about the scheduled tasks component in Windows. ... Microsofts latest Windows operating system, Windows Vista, includes a number of new I/O technologies and enhancements that are intended to shorten the time taken to boot the system, improve the responsiveness of the system, and improve the reliability of data storage. ... Shadow Copy in Windows Vista Shadow Copy (also called Volume Snapshot Service or VSS) is a feature in recent versions of Microsoft Windows that allows taking manual or automatic backup copies or snapshots of a file or folder on a specific volume at a specific point in time. ... Nero software setup is using Windows Installer program The Windows Installer (previously known as Microsoft Installer, codename Darwin) is an engine for the installation, maintenance, and removal of software on modern Microsoft Windows systems. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Dr. Watson (debugger). ... Event Viewer in Windows XP. Event Viewer in Windows Vista. ... Common Log File System (CLFS) is a general-purpose logging subsystem that is accessible to both kernel-mode as well as user-mode applications for building high-performance transaction logs. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Software componentry. ... Component Object Model (COM) is a platform for software componentry introduced by Microsoft in 1993. ... Component Object Model (COM) is a platform for software componentry introduced by Microsoft in 1993. ... ActiveX is Microsoft technology used for developing reusable object oriented software components. ... Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) is a Microsoft proprietary technology for software components distributed across several networked computers to communicate with each other. ... The Microsoft . ... Illustration of an application which may use libvorbisfile. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Active Template Library (ATL) is a set of template-based C++ classes that simplify the programming of Component Object Model (COM) objects. ... The Windows Template Library (WTL) is an object-oriented Win32 encapsulation C++ library by Microsoft. ... The Broadcast Driver Architecture (or BDA) is a Microsoft standard for digital video capture on their Windows operating systems. ... Windows Driver Foundation (WDF) is a Microsoft development group which is building tools to aid in the creation of high-quality device drivers for Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and later editions of Windows. ... The Kernel-Mode Driver Framework (KMDF) is a driver framework developed by Microsoft as a tool to aid driver developers create and maintain Kernel mode device drivers for Windows 2000[1] and later releases. ... The User-Mode Driver Framework is a device-driver development platform first introduced with Microsofts Windows Vista operating system, and is also available for Windows XP. It facilitates the creation of drivers for certain classes of devices. ... The Cryptographic Application Programming Interface (also known variously as CryptoAPI, Microsoft Cryptography API, or simply CAPI) is an application programming interface included with Microsoft Windows operating systems that provides services to enable developers to secure Windows-based applications using cryptography. ... CAPICOM is an ActiveX control created by Microsoft to help expose a select set of Microsoft Cryptographic Application Programming Interface (CryptoAPI) functions through Microsoft Component Object Model (COM). ... The Windows Cardspace UI This subsystem is a part of . ... DPAPI (Data Protection Application Programming Interface) is a relatively easy-to-use cryptography API available as a standard component in Microsoft Windows 2000 and later versions of Windows operating systems. ... The Microsoft . ... ASP.NET logo ASP.NET is a web application framework marketed by Microsoft that programmers can use to build dynamic web sites, web applications and XML web services. ... ADO.NET is a set of computer software components that can be used by programmers to access data and data services. ... . ... This subsystem is a part of . ... This subsystem is a part of . ... This subsystem is a part of . ... The Windows Cardspace UI This subsystem is a part of . ... Microsoft XNA (XNAs Not Acronymed[1]) is a set of tools, complete with a managed runtime environment, provided by Microsoft that facilitates computer game design, development and management. ... Microsoft Silverlight is a browser plugin that allows web applications to be developed with features like animation, vector graphics, and audio-video playback - features that characterize a rich internet application. ... Task Parallel Library (TPL, also referred to as Parallel FX Library) is a managed concurrency library being developed by a collaboration between Microsoft Research and the CLR team at Microsoft for inclusion with a future revision of the . ... In software engineering and enterprise software architecture, a software factory is defined as a software organization structured such that software projects are built in discrete work centers. ... Enterprise Framework (EFx), and the EFx Software Factory. ... The Microsoft Enterprise Library is a set of tools and programming libraries for the Microsoft . ... The Composite UI Application Block (or CAB) is an addition to Microsofts . ... Microsoft Connected Services Framework (CSF) is a service aggregation SOA platform from Microsoft. ... Inter-Process Communication (IPC) is a set of techniques for the exchange of data between two or more threads in one or more processes. ... MSRPC (Microsoft Remote Procedure Call) is a modified version of DCE/RPC. Additions include support for Unicode strings, implicit handles, inheritance of interfaces (which are extensively used in DCOM), and complex calculations in the variable-length string and structure paradigms already present in DCE/RPC. The DCE 1. ... In computing, a named pipe (also FIFO for its behaviour) is an extension to the traditional pipe concept on Unix and Unix-like systems, and is one of the methods of inter-process communication. ... A memory-mapped file is a segment of virtual memory which has been assigned a direct byte-for-byte correlation with some portion of a file or file-like resource. ... Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) is a technology for communication between multiple applications under Microsoft Windows and also OS/2. ... A MailSlot is a type of interprocess communication that allows communication between processes both locally and over a network. ... Microsoft Active Accessibility is a COM-based technology designed to improve the way accessibility aids work with applications running on Microsoft Windows. ... Microsoft UI Automation (UIA) is a new royalty-free, cross-platform managed code API exposing user interface controls for test automation and assistive technology such as screen readers. ... The Text Services Framework (TSF) , is a COM framework and API in Windows XP and later Windows operating systems that supports advanced text input and text processing. ... Operation of a typical Japanese romaji based IME. An input method editor (IME) is a program or operating system component that allows computer users to enter characters and symbols not found on their keyboard. ... Microsoft Language Interface Pack (LIP) is a localized skin for emerging or minority language markets, such as Catalan, Lithuanian, Tamil and Thai. ... This article is about Multilingual User Interface. ... Uniscribe is the Microsoft Windows set of services for rendering Unicode-encoded text. ... Direct3D is part of Microsofts DirectX API. Direct3D is only available for Microsofts various Windows operating systems (Windows 95 and above) and is the base for the graphics API on the Xbox and Xbox 360 console systems. ... In computing, D3DX is a high level API library that sits on top of Microsofts Direct3D graphics API. The D3DX libaray was introduced in Direct3D 8 and an improved version was released with Direct3D 9. ... DirectSound is software supplied by Microsoft that resides on a computer with the Windows operating system. ... DirectInput is a library of objects for collecting input from the user, via input devices such the mouse, keyboard, joystick or game controllers. ... DirectPlay is part of Microsofts DirectX API. DirectPlay is a network communication library intended for computer game development, although its general nature certainly allows it to be used for other purposes. ... DirectMusic is a high-level set of objects, built on top of DirectSound, that allow you to play sound and music without needing to get quite as low-level as DirectSound. ... This article should appear in one or more categories. ... Microsoft XNA (XNAs Not Acronymed[1]) is a set of tools, complete with a managed runtime environment, provided by Microsoft that facilitates computer game design, development and management. ...

Contents

Overview GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");