Signature Module Instruction Flow Supervision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for instruction flow supervision in computer systems require hardware stack mechanisms, which can lead to performance issues and architectural changes, especially when dealing with interrupt routines and subroutines, and fail to provide comprehensive protection against faults and malicious attacks.
Innovation Solution
A signature module that calculates and manages instruction signatures without relying on automatic hardware stack mechanisms, using program instructions to control signature reconfiguration and storage, allowing for software-controlled access and management of signatures during interrupt and subroutine calls, thereby providing entry and exit protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hardware stack mechanisms are used for instruction flow supervision during interrupt routines and subroutines, then reliability of program execution is improved, but device complexity and performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces hardware stack mechanisms with software-based signature management. Instead of using automatic hardware stacking to save and restore signatures during interrupt routines and subroutine calls, the system uses program instructions to manually control signature reconfiguration and storage, thereby eliminating complex hardware dependencies while maintaining instruction flow supervision reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The signature module autonomously manages signature calculation and storage without requiring hardware stack assistance. The system self-regulates by using program instructions to control when signatures are saved, restored, and reconfigured during program execution, interrupt handling, and subroutine calls, thereby reducing hardware complexity while maintaining protective functions
2Reliability
If hardware stack mechanisms are used for signature management, then instruction flow supervision is ensured, but performance and memory resource burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes hardware-based stack operations with software-controlled signature management. The signature module uses program instructions to manually manage signature storage and retrieval during interrupt routines and subroutine calls, eliminating the performance overhead associated with automatic hardware stacking while maintaining comprehensive instruction flow supervision
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using full hardware stack mechanisms for all signature operations, the system applies partial software-based management where signatures are selectively saved and restored only when necessary during interrupt and subroutine operations, reducing memory resource burden and improving system performance while maintaining adequate supervision coverage
Data Source
AI summary
A signature module calculates a signature during the execution of a program by a central processing unit based on program instructions to the central processing unit, and stores the signature in a signature register of the signature module. The signature module includes: a calculation unit configured to generate a signature value based on program instructions executed on the central processing unit; and an instruction information interface configured to receive at least one item of instruction information from the central processing unit which indicates whether an instruction currently being executed by the central processing unit was jumped to indirectly or directly.