Introduction to the WDF User-Mode Driver Framework

Updated: May 16, 2006

File name: UMDF_Intro.doc
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The Windows Driver Foundation (WDF) is Microsoft's next-generation driver model. WDF includes frameworks to support both user-mode and kernel-mode drivers, along with driver testing and verification tools. The user-mode driver framework (UMDF) component of WDF enables drivers for some types of devices to run in user mode instead of kernel mode. Devices supported by the UMDF include portable storage devices, portable media players, USB bulk transfer devices, and auxiliary display or video devices. The UMDF is currently supported for Windows Vista.

This paper provides an overview of the user-mode WDF driver architecture, describes the advantages and features of user-mode WDF drivers, and includes guidelines for determining whether to write a user-mode or kernel-mode driver.

Included in this white paper:

• Advantages of writing user-mode WDF drivers

• Devices supported in user mode

• Overview of the UMDF objects, interfaces, operations and defaults

• User-mode WDF architecture

• Required functionality for a user-mode WDF driver

• Handling I/O requests

• Building, testing, and debugging

• Installation and configuration

• Versioning