Adaptive Computing Engine Hardware Monitoring for OS Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current operating systems are vulnerable to crashes due to unchecked access below the demarcation line, where bugs in device drivers or protocol stacks can bring down the entire machine, and relying on software checks limits trusted software, necessitating a hardware-based solution.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an adaptive computing engine (ACE) for on-demand hardware instantiation and monitoring, which configures and reconfigures computational elements to provide individualized protected spaces within the operating system, monitoring all elements outside the trusted kernel space to prevent unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If software checks are used to protect the operating system, then system protection is improved, but the amount of trusted software is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces software-based protection checks with hardware-based protection mechanisms. The hardware protection mechanism operates at the instruction level to monitor and control access to protected memory spaces, eliminating the need for extensive software verification while maintaining system security. This substitution allows more software to be trusted since the hardware enforcement removes the bottleneck of software-based trust verification.
2Reliability
If hardware-based protection is implemented, then system protection is improved, but hardware complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The hardware protection mechanism is segmented into modular components including instruction monitoring units, memory space management modules, and exception handling circuits. Each segment handles specific protection functions independently, allowing the complex protection system to be divided into manageable hardware blocks that can be implemented without overwhelming complexity in any single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary hardware protection mechanism that sits between the application software and the hardware resources. This intermediary layer monitors and controls access to protected memory spaces and hardware devices, absorbing the complexity of protection logic while presenting a simplified interface to both the software and hardware. The intermediary handles the complexity of trust verification and access control without requiring complex modifications to either software or hardware interfaces.
3Reliability
If continuous hardware monitoring is implemented, then system protection is improved, but energy consumption is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The hardware protection mechanism employs periodic monitoring of critical operations rather than continuous monitoring of all hardware operations. The protection system activates monitoring functions at specific trigger points such as memory access requests, device driver calls, and interrupt handling, where protection is most needed. This periodic activation reduces energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring while maintaining effective system protection at critical boundaries.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects for achieving individualized protected space in an operating system are provided. The aspects include performing on demand hardware instantiation via an ACE (an adaptive computing engine), and utilizing the hardware for monitoring predetermined software programming to protect an operating system.