Peripheral Unit Direct Virtual Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data processing systems require additional software components like arbitrators to manage access to peripheral units, which can impact performance and security, and are vulnerable to failures or malicious actions from virtual units.
Innovation Solution
A peripheral unit is designed to be simultaneously accessible by multiple virtual processing units through a unique entry point, using register sets to allocate and manage access requests without the need for additional software components, allowing for efficient and secure service execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional software components like arbitrators are used to manage access to peripheral units, then access control and security are improved, but system performance deteriorates and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the arbitrator software component from the system and replaces it with a hardware-based peripheral unit that directly manages access control. This removes the performance bottleneck caused by software-based arbitration while maintaining security through hardware-level authentication and authorization mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the software-based mechanical arbitration process with a hardware-level solution. The peripheral unit uses hardware registers, state machines, and direct memory access capabilities to manage access control, eliminating the need for software arbitrators and improving system performance.
2Reliability
If additional software components like arbitrators are used to manage access to peripheral units, then access control and security are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex software arbitrator component entirely and replaces it with a simplified hardware-based peripheral unit. This extraction of the arbitration function to hardware level reduces software complexity while maintaining access control capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The peripheral unit is designed to be self-managing, using its own hardware resources (registers, state machines, memory) to handle access control decisions. This self-service capability eliminates the need for external software arbitrators and reduces overall system complexity.
3Device complexity
If a unique entry point is used for peripheral access, then device complexity is reduced, but concurrent access management becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the access management function by creating multiple independent access paths through the single entry point. Each virtual processing unit has its own access request queue and state machine, allowing concurrent access management despite the unique entry point.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic access management where the peripheral unit can dynamically switch between different virtual processing units based on real-time needs. The state machine dynamically transitions between different access states, enabling efficient concurrent access control.
4Productivity
If virtual processing units can directly access peripheral units, then system performance is improved, but security risks and reliability issues increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the peripheral unit's hardware-based access control mechanism as an intermediary between virtual processing units and the actual peripheral resources. This intermediary layer provides authentication and authorization while allowing direct access when permitted, balancing performance and security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by requiring virtual processing units to pre-authenticate and obtain access rights before executing operations. The hardware state machine verifies permissions in advance, preventing unauthorized access and ensuring system security before performance-critical operations occur.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method for enabling a virtual processing unit to access a peripheral unit, the virtual processing unit being implemented by a physical processing unit connected to the peripheral unit, the method comprising a step of transmitting to the peripheral unit a request sent by the virtual processing unit to access a service provided by the peripheral unit, the access request comprising at least one parameter and an identifier of the virtual unit, the method comprising steps, executed by the peripheral unit after receiving an access request, of allocating a set of registers to the virtual unit identifier received, storing the parameter received in the register set allocated, and when the peripheral unit is available for processing a request, selecting one of the register sets, and triggering a process in the peripheral unit from the parameters stored in the selected register set.