IPC & component boundaries
How Windows components communicate across process boundaries using local RPC, named pipes, and other message channels.
Official Microsoft docs
Closest official references related to this topic on Microsoft Learn.
Why it matters
Windows is built from many cooperating processes. If you do not understand IPC, the system looks like isolated boxes with magic arrows between them.
Mental model
IPC is the contract layer between components. One process exposes functionality or data, another process reaches it through a mediated channel rather than by directly touching its memory.
How it works
- 1Windows components expose endpoints such as ports, RPC interfaces, or named pipes.
- 2Clients connect to those endpoints using a protocol designed for local or remote communication.
- 3Security descriptors and tokens still apply, so IPC is not just messaging, it is also a policy boundary.
Key terms
- IPC
- Inter-process communication between components running in separate processes.
- Endpoint
- A named or registered communication point a client can connect to.
- RPC
- Remote Procedure Call, a framework for invoking functionality in another process or machine.
A service providing data to a desktop app
The app usually does not read the service's memory. It calls into an IPC mechanism and receives a structured response through a supported boundary.
Common misconception
IPC is not a niche subsystem. It is one of the default ways Windows components stay separated while still cooperating.
Go deeper
ALPC & local RPC
Fast local message passing used under the hood by several Windows components on the same machine.
RPC & COM foundations
Procedure-style communication between components, locally or across the network.
Named pipes
A durable named endpoint for client/server communication on the same machine or across the network.
You should read next
Ranked from your current topic, related links, branch depth, and any active guided path.
intermediate
RPC & COM foundations
Procedure-style communication between components, locally or across the network.
Go deeper in this branch
expert
ALPC & local RPC
Fast local message passing used under the hood by several Windows components on the same machine.
Go deeper in this branch
beginner
Named pipes
A durable named endpoint for client/server communication on the same machine or across the network.
Go deeper in this branch