DokanSys

DokanSys is a software framework that allows developers to create user-defined file systems on Windows. It acts as a bridge between the Windows kernel and user-mode applications, enabling them to expose storage or data as if it were a standard file system accessible through Windows Explorer. This means developers can present data from various sources, such as databases, cloud storage, or even in-memory structures, as a hierarchy of files and directories without needing to write a full kernel-mode driver.

The core of DokanSys is its driver, which handles the low-level interactions with the operating system. Developers write their file system logic in a user-mode DLL, which is then loaded by the Dokan driver. This DLL implements a set of callback functions that the driver invokes when the operating system performs file operations like opening, reading, writing, or listing directories. This separation simplifies development, as user-mode code is generally easier to debug and manage than kernel-mode code.

DokanSys is often used for diverse applications, including creating virtual drives for custom storage solutions, integrating cloud storage services into the file system, developing file system filters for security or analysis, and building embedded file systems for specific hardware. Its open-source nature has contributed to its adoption in various projects, offering a flexible way to extend Windows' file system capabilities.