Porting Virtual Miniport Initialization to NDIS 6.0

Like NDIS 5.x intermediate drivers, NDIS 6.0 intermediate drivers usually starts virtual miniport initialization during the bind operation. In NDIS 6.0, the ProtocolBindAdapterEx function replaces the NDIS 5.xProtocolBindAdapter function.

To initialize a virtual miniport, NDIS 5.x calls the intermediate driver's MiniportInitialize function. In NDIS 6.0, the MiniportInitializeEx function replaces MiniportInitialize.

To start initializing a virtual miniport, an intermediate driver calls the NdisIMInitializeDeviceInstanceEx function. After the intermediate driver calls NdisIMInitializeDeviceInstanceEx and the Plug and Play manager requests NDIS to start the virtual device, NDIS calls the driver's MiniportInitializeEx function.

An intermediate driver calls the NdisIMInitializeDeviceInstanceEx function from its ProtocolBindAdapterEx function one or more times to request initialization of one or more virtual miniports.

For more information about miniport adapter initialization, see Porting Miniport Adapter Initialization to NDIS 6.0.

For more information about binding operations, see Porting Protocol Binding Operations to NDIS 6.0.

For more information about initializing a virtual miniport, see Initializing a Virtual Miniport.

NDIS 6.0 filter drivers do not require a virtual miniport. For more information about filter drivers, see NDIS 6.0 Filter Drivers.