Virus Co-processor Partitioning for System Load Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virus detection systems face significant performance impacts due to the need to frequently scan for a multitude of known and emerging viruses, leading to substantial operational burdens on computer systems.
Innovation Solution
A dual-processing system that utilizes a virus co-processor and a general-purpose processor, where the virus co-processor handles hardware-accelerated virus detection using a dedicated set of signatures, while the general-purpose processor handles software-based detection, allowing for parallel processing and reduced load on the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If software-based virus detection is used to check for a multitude of known viruses, then virus detection capability is improved, but system performance is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the virus detection system into two segments: a hardware co-processor that handles known virus signatures and a software component that handles emerging viruses. This segmentation allows the hardware to efficiently process routine detections while the software handles complex cases, resolving the contradiction between detection capability and system performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The hardware co-processor acts as an intermediary between the software virus detection system and the data being scanned. It offloads the processing of known virus signatures from the general-purpose processor, reducing the performance impact while maintaining comprehensive detection capability.
2Speed
If hardware co-processor is introduced for virus detection, then processing speed is improved, but device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The hardware co-processor is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple virus signature patterns simultaneously. By consolidating various detection functions into a single hardware component, the system achieves high processing speed without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hardware co-processor implements a simplified copy of the virus signature matching logic that is optimized for hardware execution. This copying of essential detection functions to hardware enables fast processing while keeping the hardware design relatively simple by focusing only on the core matching operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of the present invention provide circuits and methods for improved virus processing. As one example, a method for virus processing is disclosed that includes providing a first memory that includes a first set of virus signatures, and a second memory that includes a second set of virus signatures. In addition, a virus co-processor and a general purpose processor are provided. The virus co-processor is communicably coupled to the first memory, and the general purpose processor is communicably coupled to the virus co-processor and to the second memory. A subset of the second set of virus signatures that is not included in the first set of virus signatures is determined. The subset of the second set of virus signatures is processed on the general processor, and the first set of the virus signatures is processed on the virus co-processor.