8.1 The inventory
8.1.1 The record #
Every non-loopback interface netd has seen has a key
Machine\System\Network\Interfaces\<id>, named by its interface id
(§4.1). netd creates it on the first pass that sees the interface. The
key is the operator's, apart from ClientId, a value both write (§5.7).
netd's findings are under its Status subkey.
Records are never deleted. The record of a card that has been removed stays, with what netd last wrote.
8.1.2 Status #
| Value | Content | Present |
|---|---|---|
Name | the kernel's name for the link | always |
Kind | wired, wireless or other | always |
Mac | the hardware address, lower-case, colon-separated | when the link has one |
Path | the bus path | when there is one |
Driver | the driver | when there is one |
Verdict | JOIN, IGNORE or DOWN | when a rule spoke; removed when the backstop answered or rules tied |
Rule | the path of the rule that spoke, or the tied rules as <a> vs <b> | when a rule spoke or rules tied; removed when the backstop answered |
Profile | the profile path as written | JOIN only |
Readiness | the interface's level (§8.2) | JOIN only |
Network | the id of the network identified on the link now | while one is identified; removed when the carrier goes |
LastNetwork | the id of the network the link last stood on | from the first identification; never removed |
Every value is REG_SZ. A value is written only when it differs from
what is there, and removed only when it is there, so a pass that changes
nothing writes nothing to the registry.
Status is refreshed on every full pass for every non-loopback interface,
and again at each publish (§2.2) for joined ones, so Readiness follows
a reconcile that moved it without any link event.
Status Network is read by the kernel to give the packet layers their
Network.* facts (PKM §6.5). It names the network only while netd has
identified one on the link (§7.1).
8.1.3 The descriptor #
Status is created with the descriptor
O:SYG:SYD:P(A;;KA;;;SY)(A;;KR;;;WD): SYSTEM has full control, Everyone
has read access, and the DACL is protected, so the hive root's inheritable grant
to Administrators does not reach it. Only netd, as SYSTEM, can write
there. An administrator's hand edit is refused at the write, not
reverted at the next pass. The descriptor is set only when netd creates
the key.
8.1.4 The machine's values #
On Machine\System\Network itself netd writes: