Windows kernel-mode kernel library

The kernel of an operating system implements the core functionality that everything else in the operating system depends upon. The Microsoft Windows kernel provides basic low-level operations such as scheduling threads or routing hardware interrupts. It's the heart of the operating system and all tasks it performs must be fast and simple.

Routines that provide a direct interface to the kernel library are usually prefixed with "Ke", for example, KeGetCurrentThread. For a list of kernel library routines, see Kernel Library Support Routines.

Note

The term microkernel doesn't apply to the current kernel used in the Windows operating system.