SoC Access Control Rule Storage Using SRAM Tree Lookup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) face challenges in efficiently managing access control rules for isolated software contexts, leading to inefficiencies in memory access permissions and security enforcement.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing a static random-access memory (SRAM) to store and retrieve access control rules, employing binary trees and linked lists to quickly search and retrieve access control lists (ACLs), ensuring fast and secure memory access management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If access control rules are stored in SRAM with binary trees and linked lists, then query speed is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The access control rules are segmented into multiple data structures including binary trees for fast searching and linked lists for efficient traversal. The SRAM is divided into multiple rows that can store different types of access control entries, allowing parallel processing and faster query response times.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested data structure where binary trees are stored within the SRAM, and linked lists are integrated with the tree structure. This nesting allows multiple levels of data organization to coexist, enabling fast queries through the binary tree while maintaining the flexibility of linked lists for traversal and modification.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple access control rules are stored in SRAM rows, then memory footprint is reduced, but reliability of access control decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the SRAM are allocated for different types of access control rules. The binary tree structure provides reliable hierarchical storage for critical access permissions, while linked lists provide reliable sequential storage for traversal. This local quality differentiation ensures that each data structure serves its specific reliability requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary search mechanism that uses binary trees to quickly locate relevant access control rules in the SRAM. This intermediary layer between the query request and the actual access permission ensures reliable retrieval by systematically searching through the stored rules without compromising memory efficiency.
3Productivity
If binary trees are used to store access control rules, then search efficiency is improved, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The binary tree structure is designed to be self-organizing, where the tree automatically maintains its structure through insertion and deletion operations. The linked lists are automatically traversed and updated when access control rules are modified, reducing the need for manual intervention and simplifying operation while maintaining high search efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
In an example, a method includes storing a plurality of access control rules in different rows of a static random-access memory (SRAM); storing a plurality of context entries in different rows of the SRAM; receiving a request for an access control rule, of the plurality of access control rules, for a memory location from a first context; searching one or more access control rules, of the plurality of access control rules, for the first context; responsive to finding the access control rule for the memory location, returning the access control rule to the first context; and responsive to not finding the access control rule for the memory location, returning a null notification to the first context.