Windows® 2000 Device Driver Book: A Guide for Programmers, Second Edition, The

Chapter 14. System Threads

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

• Definition and Use of System Threads

• Thread Synchronization

• Using Dispatcher Objects

• Code Example: A Thread-Base Driver

• Summary

The work that must be performed within a driver cannot always be done in response to a request—at least, not at the very moment of the request. Some work must be performed asynchronous to a caller, perhaps at a different priority to other driver activity. Windows 2000 allows the creation of separate threads of execution, each following a code path that is independent of others. The threads perform units of work at their own pace, triggered by appropriate events.

This chapter explains the process of creating a kernel-mode thread. It also explains the synchronization techniques ...