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The next generation of the Microsoft Windows operating system (Chicago) supports a new interface that allows the system BIOS to be an extension of the operating system. Through a new interface, the BIOS can alert the operating system to real-time changes in the hardware configuration. The BIOS may interrupt the operating system to deliver messages about hardware events and in turn, the operating system can ask the BIOS to change the configuration of certain devices on the mother board. The software layer that provides abstraction between the operating system and the system BIOS, the System BIOS enumerator, is a VxD driver called BIOS.386.
BIOS.386 provides the following features:
* Fits into next generation Windows open architecture for Plug and Play;
* Provides additional services outside the realm of Windows Plug and Play framework; * Provides the 32 bit to 16 bit interface necessary for calling 16 bit code from a 32 bit operating system;
* Monitors the system for notification of additions in legacy hardware and stores this in NVRAM to support BIOS POST;
* Provides support for platform event notification such as inserting a notebook into a docking station;
* Customizable for additional BIOS or Operating system support.
Microsoft Windows 4.0 includes a new module that manages hardware configuration (See Fig). (Fig. omitted) The Configuration Manager (CM) is responsible for hardware resource conflict detection and resolution. This module gathers hardware information from Bus Drivers (enumerators) that have specific knowledge of the hardware on their bus. BIOS.386 is such a driver; it is responsible for the mother-board bus. The CM calls each registered bus driver to create a master list of...