Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Andrew P Crick

William G Parry

Seetharaman Harikrishnan

Harish K Naidu

Shishir Shah

Michael H Tsang

Mike Glass

Thomas J Shea

A method and system for configuring and executing device drivers in a computer system is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the device drivers comprise a plurality of component drivers. Each component driver performs a function (e.g., disk caching) that may be used in accessing a device. The component drivers of a device driver are ordered from a top layer to a bottom layer. When accessing a device, the top layer component driver of the device driver is first invoked. Each component driver performs its function and invokes the next lower layer component driver. The bottom layer component driver interacts directly with the device. An operating system, preferably, dynamically configures the device drivers at computer system startup. The operating system has a plurality of component drivers that are available to be configured into a device driver. To configure a device driver, the operating system invokes each component driver to determine whether the component driver should be included as a layer in the device drive. If a component driver should be included, the component driver stores a reference to the component driver in a call-down table for the device driver. The call-down table stores the ordering of the component driver layers. When accessing the device, the operating system first invokes the component driver referenced by the top reference in the call-down table. Each component driver in turn invokes the component driver referenced by the next lower reference in the call-down table.

Method and system for configuring device driver by selecting a plurality

A computer method and system for allocating memory for a plurality of software routines. Before execution of the software routines, a collective buffer is allocated. Each software routine is assigned an offset within the collective buffer. Each software routine may then use the portion of the collective buffer starting at its offset as its dynamically allocated work space. To allocate the collective buffer, a collective buffer size is first determined which is sufficient to satisfy the total dynamic memory requirements of the software routines. In determining the collective buffer size, the size of a software routine buffer required by each software routine is accumulated into the collective buffer size. As each software routine buffer size requirement is accumulated, the interim total is stored as the offset for the next software routine. When the last software routine buffer size requirement is accumulated, the total indicates the collective buffer size. A collective buffer of the collective buffer size is then allocated. When the software routines are executed, each software routine uses a portion of the collective buffer referenced by its assigned offset. When all the software routines complete execution, the collective buffer may then be deallocated. In a preferred embodiment, the memory is allocated to a software system having a layered architecture including an application program and a device driver comprising a plurality of component device drivers.

Dynamic allocation of a common buffer for use by a set of software

A method and system for providing intercommunication of I/O access factors between a file system and device driver, described as follows. A factor data block is provided which stores I/O access factors used by a file system and a device driver. The file system performs application program requests to access files by providing appropriate file system requests to the device driver based on the I/O access factors. The device driver performs the file system requests by controlling access to an appropriate peripheral device based on the I/O access factors. In a preferred embodiment, the I/O access factors include real time status data indicating a current status of I/O processing. The I/O access factors also include device constraint data indicating limitations of the peripheral devices. During an I/O access, the file system reads the real time status data and device constraint data and performs an application program request based on the real time status data and device constraint data, passing a file system request to the device driver. The device driver reads the real time status data and performs the file system request based on the real time status data.

System for providing intercommunication of I/O access factors stored in

A method and system for configuring and executing device drivers in a computer system. In a preferred embodiment, a device driver comprises a plurality of component drivers. Each component driver performs a function that may be used in accessing a device. The component drivers of a device driver are ordered from a top layer to a bottom layer. When accessing a device, the top layer component driver of the device driver is first invoked. Each component driver performs its function and invokes the next lower layer component driver to the bottom layer component driver, which interacts directly with the device. An operating system dynamically configures the device drivers at computer system startup. The operating system invokes each of a plurality of component drivers to determine based on device-specific information and configuration requirements of previously included component drivers whether the component driver should be selected to be included as a layer in a particular device driver. If selected, the component driver stores a reference to itself in a call-down table for the device driver and stores its configuration requirements with the unsatisfied configuration requirements of previously included component drivers. When accessing the device, if all configuration requirements for the device driver have been satisfied, the operating system first invokes the component driver referenced by the top reference in the call-down table. Each component driver in turn invokes the component driver referenced by the next lower reference in the call-down table.

Method and system for configuring and executing device drivers based on

In a preferred embodiment, a multiplicity of software routines are defined. During configuration of the software system, a plurality of the software routines are selected for inclusion in the software system. Before configuring the software system, each of the multiplicity of software routines is assigned a configuration group. When configuring the software system, each of the multiplicity of software routines is invoked, one configuration group at a time. Each invoked software routine determines whether it should be included in the software system. This determination may be based on which other software routines are already included. Thus, by changing the assigned configuration order of a software routine, the configuration of the software system can be changed.

Method and system for dynamically configuring a software system using

A method and system for providing a user with interactive control of device driver configuration. In a preferred embodiment, during configuration of a device driver composed of multiple component drivers, each of a plurality of available component drivers is invoked for potential inclusion in the device driver. For each available component driver, a component driver definition file is provided which contains definition statements. Also for each available component driver, an entry in a parameter registry is provided which contains a list of configuration parameters to be passed to the available component driver when it is invoked. Upon user selection of a component driver, the corresponding component driver definition file is read and the definition statements from the corresponding component driver definition file are provided to the user. In accordance with user responses to the definition statements, the configuration parameters are assigned appropriate values and updated in the corresponding entry in the parameter registry. As a result, upon a next configuration of the device driver, the modified configuration parameters are passed to the selected component driver when invoked for inclusion in the device driver.

Growing community of inventors

Woodinville, WA, United States of America

Andrew P Crick