Connection-Oriented Operations Performed by Miniport Drivers

In addition to controlling NIC hardware, a connection-oriented miniport driver:

• Sends and receives packets.

  A connection-oriented miniport driver sends and receives packets on behalf of connection-oriented clients or call managers.

• Creates (sets up) VCs.

  At the request of a connection-oriented client, a connection-oriented miniport driver allocates and initializes the resources for a VC for an outgoing call. At the request of a call manager, a connection-oriented miniport driver allocates and initializes the resources for a VC for an incoming call or on which the call manager will send or receive signaling messages.

• Activates VCs.

  At the request of a call manager, a connection-oriented miniport driver communicates with a NIC to prepare the NIC to receive or transmit data across a VC (see Activating a VC).

• Deactivates VCs.

  At the request of a call manager, a connection-oriented miniport driver communicates with a NIC to terminate all communication across a VC (see Deactivating a VC).

• Deletes VCs.

  At the request of a connection-oriented client, a connection-oriented miniport driver deallocates the resources for a VC whose creation was initiated by that client (see Deleting a VC). At the request of a call manager, a connection-oriented miniport driver deallocates the resources for a VC whose creation was initiated by that call manager.

• Responds to information queries or sets.

  A connection-oriented miniport driver responds to query and set operations by a bound connection-oriented client or call manager.

• Indicates status.

  A connection-oriented miniport driver can indicate changes in its status or the status of a NIC to bound connection-oriented clients and call managers.

• Resets the NIC.

  At the request of NDIS, a connection-oriented miniport driver resets a NIC.