Cryptographic Accelerator Message Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cryptographic systems require multiple data transfers and complex DMA configurations to assemble secure messages, increasing CPU load and system resource consumption during cryptographic operations.
Innovation Solution
A cryptographic accelerator with an input buffer, cryptographic engine, and output buffer that generates cipher text and MAC, and determines a configuration for assembling a secure message in the output buffer, allowing for direct and flexible transfer of message parts to a communication component without scatter-gather DMA complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple data transfers and complex DMA configurations are used to assemble secure messages, then message assembly can be completed, but CPU load and system resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the message assembly function with the cryptographic engine by providing an output buffer that automatically assembles the authenticated encryption output (cipher text and MAC) into a complete secure message. This merging eliminates the need for separate DMA scatter-gather operations to copy data between different buffers, thereby reducing DMA configuration complexity while maintaining full message assembly capability
Solution Approach 2:
The cryptographic engine is designed to perform multiple functions: it both encrypts the plain text and assembles the final secure message in its output buffer. This multi-functionality allows the same hardware component to handle both cryptographic processing and message assembly, reducing the need for additional DMA configurations and lowering overall system complexity
2Reliability
If multiple data transfers are used to assemble secure messages, then complete messages can be generated, but the number of data transfers and CPU load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The output buffer of the cryptographic engine is designed to hold both the cipher text and MAC together as a complete assembled message. This merging ensures message completeness is achieved within a single buffer, eliminating the need for multiple data transfers to concatenate message parts, thereby improving data transfer efficiency without compromising reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The cryptographic engine performs the message assembly action preliminarily during the cryptographic operation itself, rather than requiring subsequent separate assembly steps. The output buffer is prepared to receive and assemble both cipher text and MAC in the correct format before the operation completes, eliminating the need for follow-up data transfers and reducing CPU load
3Adaptability or versatility
If scatter-gather DMA is used to transfer message parts, then flexible message assembly is possible, but DMA complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the flexibility of scatter-gather DMA with a simpler approach by providing an output buffer that natively supports assembling multiple output types (cipher text and MAC) in a single buffer. This eliminates the need for complex scatter-gather DMA configurations while maintaining the adaptability to handle different authenticated encryption modes and output formats
4Ease of manufacture
If separate buffers are used for cipher text and MAC, then data organization is simplified, but additional data transfers are required
Solution Approach 1:
The output buffer combines both cipher text and MAC storage capabilities into a single buffer structure, maintaining simple data organization while eliminating the need for separate data transfers. The buffer is designed to hold both data types together in their proper positions, achieving both organizational simplicity and time efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A cryptographic accelerator may include an input buffer to store an additional authenticated data (AAD) portion of a message and a plain text portion of the message. The cryptographic accelerator may include a cryptographic engine to generate cipher text using the plain text portion of the message, generate a message authentication code (MAC) using the AAD portion and either the plain text portion or the cipher text, determine a configuration for creating an assembled message in an output buffer of the cryptographic accelerator, and provide at least the cipher text to the output buffer to create the assembled message in the output buffer according to the configuration. The cryptographic accelerator may include the output buffer to provide the assembled message.