GuidesWINDOWS NT ARCHITECTURE

WINDOWS NT ARCHITECTURE

ServerWatch content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.




renj

KNOWING WINDOWS NT.

Here I am telling you some of the facts which I have experienced with WINDOWS NT. The facts are about the WINDOWS NT architecture. WINDOWS NT has a modular architecture, meaning each component provided within it has sole responsibility for the functions which they have been provided. And it provide the functionality of a network operating system.

Here I am telling you some of the facts which I have experienced with WINDOWS
NT. The facts are about the WINDOWS NT architecture. WINDOWS NT has a modular architecture,
meaning each component provided within it has sole responsibility for the functions which they have been
provided. And it provide the functionality of a network operating system.

Dave Cutler headed the team to design WINDOWS NT Operating System. He is also a designer of VMS Operating System which runs on DEC’s VAX
systems. While designing the WINDOWS NT, Dave has retained the user friendly desktop of WINDOWS 95,while integrating the high security of VMS Operating System into WINDOWS
NT.

Now we’ll peep into WINDOWS NT.

To maintain the efficiency and integrity of WINDOWS NT, it’s architecture is divided into two modes.

1. USER MODE

2. KERNEL MODE

USER MODE

The applications and their supporting subsystem runs in user mode. This mode is referred to as a less
privileged processor mode because it cannot access directly the hardware. The limitations of user mode process are follows

1. No Direct Access To Memory And Hardware.

2. This Is A Non-privileged Mode, i.e. The Applications Cannot Directly Access Memory And
Hardware.

3. The Applications That Runs In User Mode Are Limited To Their Assigned Address Space.

User mode uses specific application programming interfaces (APIs) for requesting the system services from the kernel component.

KERNEL MODE

Kernel mode is the highly privileged mode. The codes that run in the kernel mode directly access the hardware and
memory. The processor that run in kernel mode are not restricted to their own address spaces.

The kernel mode services are called executive services. When a user mode requests for kernel mode
services, the executive services provide them.

Get the Free Newsletter!

Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

Latest Posts

Related Stories