Interested in building networking filtering applications tailored to the next iteration of the Windows client? Then you need to get up to date with the new features that have been added to Windows Filtering Platform for Windows 7. In this regard, the Redmond company is offering for download documentation designed to provide an insight into what exactly the Windows 7 Filtering Platform brings to the table. The What is new in Windows 7 WFP (Windows Filtering Platform) version 1.1 is a resource that went live on the Microsoft Download Center in June 2009, and which is currently offered to developers.

The WPF architecture was initially introduced with the precursors of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Vista and Windows Server 2008 allowed independent software vendors to build programs enjoying a high level of networking control, and Windows 7 will take it to the next level for C/C++ developers.

Essentially, WFP permits applications to “filter and modify TCP/IP packets, monitor or authorize connections, filter Internet Protocol security (IPsec)-protected traffic, and filter remote procedure calls (RPCs). Filtering and modifying TCP/IP packets provides unprecedented access to the TCP/IP packet processing path. In this path, you can examine or modify outgoing and incoming packets before additional processing occurs. By accessing the TCP/IP processing path at different layers, you can more easily create firewalls, antivirus software, diagnostic software, and other types of applications and services,” Microsoft revealed.

The Redmond company enumerated no less than 18 enhancements in WFP in Windows 7 compared to Vista. All the new features are detailed in the documentation offered for download. At this point in time Microsoft is getting closer and closer to release Windows to manufacturing, a move that is planned by the end of this month. The software giant is targeting October 22nd 2009 for the worldwide general availability of Windows 7.