System and method for accessing information made available by a kernel mode driver

• US 6,598,169 B1
• Filed: 07/26/1999
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Warwick, Alan M., Naik, Dilip C.
• Primary Examiner(s): COURTENAY III, ST JOHN
• Application Number:
  US09/360,544
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 709/313-321,327 713/1,2,100,300-340
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

An invention is disclosed that provides a mechanism for exposing to user mode applications the features and information enabled by the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (“ACPI”) specification. The present invention provides a generic mapping driver that executes in kernel mode, and that makes calls to the ACPI driver accessible by user mode applications. The mapping driver may be a part of a management instrumentation system, such as the Windows Management Instrumentation (“WMI”) system. The WMI system provides an interface through which instrumented components, such as hardware devices, can provide information and notification to management applications in user mode through a consistent management information store. The mapping driver provides access to the ACPI system from the WMI management system.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for accessing advanced configuration and power interface and other features of a hardware device, which, when executed, comprise:

receiving a first message in a first format consistent with a management system that interfaces with an application external to the management system for providing access to the advanced configuration and power interface and other features of a hardware device and executing in a first operational mode;

translating information in the first message to create a second message in a second format consistent with a power interface system that interfaces with the hardware device, the power interface system executing in a second operational mode; and

issuing the second message to the power interface system.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions, which, when executed, comprise:

if the first message requests data from the hardware device, receiving from the power interface system the requested data; and

issuing a third message to the management system, the third message being operative to identify the data from the hardware device.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions, which, when executed, comprise:

if the first message comprises an instruction to set data at the hardware device, receiving from the management system the data;

identifying in the second message the data from the management system.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein translating information, comprises:

retrieving a globally unique identifier from the first message;

identifying a code associated with the globally unique identifier; and

creating the second message based on the code.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first operational mode is a user mode.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second operational mode is a kernel mode.

7. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for monitoring, from a user mode, instrumentation features of a hardware device, which, when executed, comprise:

receiving a notification of the occurrence of an event at the hardware device, the notification being in a format consistent with a power interface system having a first component that executes in a kernel mode and that interfaces with the hardware device;

translating information in the notification to create an event message in a format consistent with a management system that interfaces with an application external to the management system for providing access to the advanced configuration and power interface and other features of a hardware device and executing in the user mode; and

issuing the event message to the management system.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the notification is received at a second component associated with the management system, the second component executing in the kernel mode.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein translating the information in the notification is performed by the second component.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer executable components, comprising:

a power interface driver configured to execute in kernel mode and being further configured to communicate with a hardware device via a power interface system;

a management driver configured to interface with the power interface driver in kernel mode and being further configured to pass information between the power interface driver and a management system, the management system executing in a user mode.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the management driver is further configured to translate a first message issued by the management system, in a format consistent with the management system, to a second message in a format consistent with the power interface driver.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the management driver is further configured to receive a notification that an event has occurred at the hardware device and translate the notification to an event message consistent with the management system.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the management driver is further configured to issue the event message to the management system, the event message further comprising information related to the event that occurred at the hardware device.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the management driver comprises a mapping table for use in translating messages between a first format consistent with the power interface system and a second format consistent with the management system.

15. A computer-implemented method for accessing advanced configuration and power interface features of a hardware device, comprising:

receiving, at a management driver, a first message in a first format consistent with a management system that interfaces with an application external to the management system for providing access to the advanced configuration and power interface and other features of a hardware device and executing in a user mode, the first message including a request for data stored within the hardware device;

translating, by the management driver, information in the first message to create a second message in a second format consistent with a power interface driver that interfaces with the hardware device, the power interface driver executing in a kernel mode;

issuing the second message to the power interface driver;

receiving from the power interface driver the requested data in a format consistent with the power interface driver;

translating the requested data to a format consistent with the management system; and

issuing the translated requested data to the management system.