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From the Editor
KMDF 1.0 Is Here! Unless you’ve been asleep for the last couple of years, you’ve heard about Microsoft’s new driver model, the Windows Driver Foundation (WDF). WDF includes frameworks for developing kernel-mode and user-mode drivers, along with test and verification tools to help ensure that these drivers actually work.
The initial release of the kernel-mode driver framework (KMDF) is now available. KMDF is a customizable driver infrastructure that implements code for common driver requirements, such as power management and Plug and Play, and defines intelligent defaults. KMDF frees driver writers to focus on their device hardware, rather than the intricacies of the operating system.
Since the initial prerelease of KMDF at WinHEC 2004, Microsoft has revised and refined KMDF design and implementation in response to feedback from the driver development community. At WinHEC and DevCon and on the beta-test discussion lists, the WDF team has listened to your suggestions—and we thank you for your participation.
You can download KMDF from the WHDC Web site. The release includes header files, libraries, a redistributable co-installer, documentation, and development tools for creating kernel-mode drivers. —Annie Pearson
for the WHDC team
WHDC After Dark:
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Kateh!: It’s hard not to want Saiman Chow’s job: Hello Kitty beats the video arcade monster.
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WinHEC on the Horizon
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Each year we plan the WinHEC technical content, conference components, and interaction with Microsoft experts based on your requests. Please complete this brief survey to tell us what you need from WinHEC to help you succeed in building products for new versions of Windows.
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We are seeking proposals for WinHEC technical presentations that share engineering and design innovations for PCs, servers, and devices that run Windows. Industry participation is a key component of WinHEC every year and, in response to your requests, we are extending the deadline to January 5, 2006, to allow you time to make submissions for WinHEC speaking opportunities.
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WDF and the KMDF 1.0 Release
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The WHDC Web site provides the KMDF 1.0 download, plus a host of white papers to help you understand and use WDF. To get started with KMDF:
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UMDF supports the creation of user-mode drivers for protocol-based or serial-bus-based devices. Such drivers handle the same types of I/O requests as kernel-mode drivers and are installed by INF files, just as kernel-mode drivers are.
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There’s a host of information on the WHDC Web site to help you learn more about WDF:
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Windows Vista and Windows Server "Longhorn" Previews
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Machine.inf is the INF file used during the Windows startup process to map core chipset hardware and firmware-enumerated device IDs. A new paper on the WHDC Web site describes the procedure that device and chipset manufacturers must follow to submit Machine.inf changes for inclusion in future releases of Windows Vista and Windows Server "Longhorn."
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Support for the ACPI _OSC method will be present in Windows Vista beginning with the December CTP release. System manufacturers are encouraged to perform comprehensive test passes on their PCI Express-capable systems to ensure compatibility of ACPI, PCI Express, and Windows implementations in firmware and hardware.
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Information for manufacturers and developers about memory-mapped configuration space, hot-plug support, PME and hot-plug events, interrupts, systems, devices, and Windows compatibility with PCI Express.
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How to take advantage of direct application launch in Windows Vista to deliver consumer-friendly application startup experiences to your customers.
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This TechNet article discusses technologies that support Windows Vista deployment, which is based on disk imaging and will include a built-in disk-imaging tool: XImage.
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Tools and News for Developers
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Driver Install Frameworks (DIFx) provides infrastructure and tools to simplify device and driver installation for both developers and users. DIFx tools include Driver Package Installer (DPInst), Driver Installation Frameworks for Applications (DIFxApp), and Driver Installation Frameworks Library (DIFxAPI).
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Online search is deeply integrated into Visual Studio 2005. The new tabbed interface of MSDN's search feature also lets you quickly search multiple resources. And Microsoft is offering a wealth of resources to ensure that registered users have a great experience with Visual Studio 2005. See also: Visual Studio Add-Ins Every Developer Should Download Now.
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The Windows SDK documentation contains API reference topics and feature overviews for the programming elements available in Windows Vista.
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This TechNet article describes the new features for IPv6 and the Teredo IPv6 transition technology in the Next Generation TCP/IP stack.
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Edition for  December 6, 2005 |
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