OSR Introduces New Product for Windows NT/Windows 2000 Device Driver Writers

Business Wire, June 17, 1999

AMHERST, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 17, 1999--

OSR Open Systems Resources, Inc. (OSR) has released V1.0 of OSR DDK, a groundbreaking product for Windows NT/Windows 2000 device driver developers.

OSR DDK works with Microsoft's Visual C compiler, the Microsoft Device Driver Kit (DDK), and a standard debugger to make device driver development dramatically easier for software engineers. The result? More reliable drivers, delivered faster to market, with less effort.

Writing device drivers for Windows NT and Windows 2000 has always been a detailed, time-consuming (and often frustrating) task. OSR DDK helps developers build drivers faster by providing:

1. Automatic syntax checking and validation of each parameter passed by the driver to a Windows NT device driver function.

2. Automatic in-memory tracing of calls to Windows NT device driver function calls.

3. Deep Parameter Checking(tm) that monitors a driver's activities in real-time, and makes judgments about the suitability of certain actions the driver takes.

Technology similar to that provided by OSR DDK has been available in the past for application developers. Now, the device driver experts at OSR (authors of the highly regarded book "Windows NT Device Driver Development", ISBN 1-57870-058-2, published by MacMillan Technical Publishing) are making these features available to driver writers. A free time-limited evaluation version of OSR DDK is available for immediate download via the product's web site, http://www.osrddk.com.

"No Pain, ALL GAIN Driver Debugging"

What makes OSR DDK unusual among software tools is that it's so easy to use. Driver writers don't have to learn any new programming interfaces, and they don't have to modify their code in order to use OSR DDK. Instead, they simply rebuild their driver with OSR DDK and automatically get enhanced debugger and tracing capabilities. Because OSR DDK is so easy to use, OSR calls it "No Pain, ALL GAIN Driver Debugging".

Device drivers are critical software programs typically written by OEMs that connect peripheral devices (such as disk drives, keyboards, and others) to the operating system. If no device driver is available for a given device for a particular operating system, that device cannot be used with that operating system. Proper operation of device drivers is critical because device drivers in Windows NT/Windows 2000 run as part of the operating system. Because it's part of the operating system, a bug in a device driver will typically lead to a system crash.

OSR DDK will hence device driver developers deliver their software faster, and with fewer latent problems. This results in overall greater stability in Windows NT/Windows 2000 systems that use drivers developed with OSR DDK.

OSR Background

OSR Open Systems Resources, Inc. are specialists in tools, training, consulting, and custom development of Windows NT/Windows 2000 system software. OSR is the leading provider of seminars that teach software professionals how to develop Windows NT / Windows 2000 device drivers and file systems. OSR is a also key provider of specialty high-tech toolkits for driver writers and file systems developers. OSR's enabling technology appears in a number of leading commercial anti-virus, data replication, data encryption, and SAN products for Windows NT. The company is located at 105 Route 101A, Amherst, NH 030301, telephone 603/595-6500, FAX 603/595-6503, http://www.osr.com

Product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.