Named pipes
A durable named endpoint for client/server communication on the same machine or across the network.
Official Microsoft docs
Closest official references related to this topic on Microsoft Learn.
Why it matters
Named pipes are a classic and still very practical Windows IPC primitive. They show up in service communication, tools, and some RPC transports.
Mental model
A named pipe is a server-created rendezvous point. Clients connect to an instance of that pipe and exchange messages or byte streams.
How it works
- 1A server creates a named pipe and waits for one or more client connections.
- 2Each instance has its own buffers and state, even though the pipe name is shared.
- 3Windows security checks still control who can connect and what impersonation is possible.
Key terms
- Pipe instance
- One connected server/client communication channel under a shared pipe name.
- Impersonation
- A server thread temporarily acting under the client's security context.
A local helper talking to a privileged service
The GUI and service can communicate through a named pipe while staying in separate processes with different security identities.
Common misconception
A named pipe is not just a text stream. It can be full duplex, message oriented, secured, and instantiated for multiple clients.
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