What is Windows kernel?

The kernel performs key services such as scheduling, launching, and ending processes; and, initializing, running drivers (programs that communicate with hardware), and ensuring that memory is allocated correctly.

The Windows kernel is a hybrid kernel, which means it attempts to combine features and benefits of microkernelIn microkernels, the user services and kernel services are implemented in different address space and monolithicA monolithic kernel is an operating system architecture where the entire operating system is working in kernel space kernel architectures. The idea is to simultaneously benefit from the performance monolithic kernels provide and the stability that microkernels provide.