Installing, Upgrading, and Removing the Component

When the network configuration subsystem installs, upgrades, or removes a network component, the subsystem also calls the component's notify object to complete the installation, upgrade, and removal. The component's notify object can be implemented to perform operations that the component might require. For example:

  • A notify object for a multiplexer for a virtual LAN can be implemented so that when the subsystem installs the multiplexer, the notify object will install virtual adapters that the multiplexer protocol binds to.

    To install a virtual adapter, the notify object calls the network configuration's INetCfgClassSetup::Install method. In this call, the notify object passes the identifier of the virtual adapter to install. The notify object can call INetCfgClassSetup::Install, for example, from its INetCfgComponentNotifyBinding::NotifyBindingPath or INetCfgComponentPropertyUi::ApplyProperties method.

    To complete the installation of the virtual adapter, the operating system requires the INF file for the virtual adapter. To ensure that this INF file can be located, it must be copied to the operating system when the multiplexer is installed. For more information, see Copying INFs. This topic indicates that the CopyINF directive or a call to the SetupCopyOEMInf function by a co-installer or setup application can be used to copy INF files to the target system's INF directory. However, if the INF file for the multiplexer (original INF) is copied using SetupCopyOEMInf, then the INF file for the virtual adapter must also be copied using SetupCopyOEMInf because the operating system only handles a CopyINF directive if the original INF is not yet in the INF directory.

  • The multiplexer's notify object can be implemented so that when the subsystem removes the multiplexer, the notify object will remove all virtual adapters. To remove a virtual adapter, the notify object calls the network configuration's INetCfgClassSetup::DeInstall method. In this call, the notify object passes the pointer to the INetCfgComponent interface of the virtual adapter. The notify object can call INetCfgClassSetup::DeInstall, for example, from its INetCfgComponentNotifyBinding::NotifyBindingPath or INetCfgComponentPropertyUi::ApplyProperties method.

  • The component's notify object can be implemented so that when the subsystem upgrades the component, the notify object will change the order of the component's binding path. To change this order, a notify object's INetCfgComponentSetup::Upgrade method calls either the INetCfgComponentBindings::MoveBefore or the INetCfgComponentBindings::MoveAfter methods.