Inside Windows® Server 2003

Overview of Windows Server 2003 Plug and Play

Windows Server 2003 uses the same plug-and-play support introduced in Windows 2000. The Windows Executive has two components that handle PnP services: Plug and Play Manager and Power Manager:

• Plug and Play Manager. Discovers PnP devices using a process called enumeration. It then loads an appropriate driver and makes Registry entries based on INF scripts written either by Microsoft or the hardware vendor. Plug and Play Manager also allocates resources such as IRQs, I/O ports, and DMA channels based on information gleaned from ACPI.

• Power Manager. Handles dynamic interaction with devices to conserve battery life or limit wear and tear on components. Power Manager can be set to spin down a hard drive, ...