Abstract:
An apparatus comprises processing circuitry to perform data processing in response to instructions, and memory access circuitry to perform a tag-guarded memory access operation in response to a target address. The tag-guarded memory access operation comprises comparing an address tag associated with the target address with a guard tag stored in a memory system in association with a block of one or more memory locations comprising an addressed location identified by the target address, and generating an indication of whether a match is detected between the guard tag and the address tag. The memory access circuitry determines, according to a programmable mapping, a mapping of guard tag storage locations for storing guard tags for corresponding blocks of memory locations.
Abstract:
A data processing apparatus has processing circuitry with transactional memory support circuitry to support execution of a transaction using transactional memory. In response to an exception mask updating instruction which updates exception mask information to enable at least one subset of exceptions which was disabled at the start of processing of a transaction, the processing circuitry permits un-aborted processing of one or more subsequent instruction of the transaction that follow the exception mask update instruction.
Abstract:
A data processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry to execute a plurality of processes. An ownership table comprises one or more entries each indicating, for a corresponding block of physical addresses, which of the processes is an owner process that has exclusive control of access to the corresponding block of physical addresses. A new process may be prevented from becoming an owner process until after successful completion of destructive overwriting. Ownership protection circuitry may detect a mismatch between an expected attribute, which is dependent on information in a page table entry, and an attribute specified in the ownership table. Each entry in the ownership table, for example, may indicate a level of encryption to be applied. Access control circuitry such as a memory management unit (MMU) may also determine whether an access request satisfies access permissions. The ownership table may also specify whether a higher privilege level process is allowed to access a block of physical addresses. A descriptor table may be used to store process state identifiers, where the process states may include invalid, prepare and execute states. The processes may comprise a hypervisor and/or a virtual machine (VM).
Abstract:
A data processing apparatus is provided comprising data processing circuitry and debug circuitry. The debug circuitry controls operation of the processing circuitry when operating in a debug mode. The data processing circuitry determines upon entry into a debug mode a current operating state of the data processing apparatus. The data processing circuitry allocates one of a plurality of instruction sets to be used as a debug instruction set depending upon the determined current operating state.
Abstract:
A processor is provided with a first memory protection unit applying a first set of permissions and a second memory protection unit applying a second set of permissions. A memory access will only be permitted if both the first set of permissions and the second set of permissions are satisfied. The processor also includes a memory management unit which serves to translate from virtual addresses VA to physical addresses PA. A selectable one of the first memory protection unit and the memory management unit is active at any given time under control of a selection bit set by a hypervisor program executing at an exception level with higher privilege than the exception level at which the guest operating systems execute.
Abstract:
A data processing system includes a single instruction multiple data register file and single instruction multiple processing circuitry. The single instruction multiple data processing circuitry supports execution of cryptographic processing instructions for performing parts of a hash algorithm. The operands are stored within the single instruction multiple data register file. The cryptographic support instructions do not follow normal lane-based processing and generate output operands in which the different portions of the output operand depend upon multiple different elements within the input operand.
Abstract:
An apparatus and method are provided for performing register renaming. Available register identifying circuitry is provided to identify which physical registers form a pool of physical registers available to be mapped by register renaming circuitry to an architectural register specified by an instruction to be executed. Configuration data whose value is modified during operation of the processing circuitry is stored such that, when the configuration data has a first value, the configuration data identifies at least one architectural register of the architectural register set which does not require mapping to a physical register by the register renaming circuitry. The register identifying circuitry is arranged to reference the modified data value, such that when the configuration data has the first value, the number of physical registers in the pool is increased due to the reduction in the number of architectural registers which require mapping to physical registers.
Abstract:
A data processing system 2 includes a single instruction multiple data register file 12 and single instruction multiple processing circuitry 14. The single instruction multiple data processing circuitry 14 supports execution of cryptographic processing instructions for performing parts of a hash algorithm. The operands are stored within the single instruction multiple data register file 12. The cryptographic support instructions do not follow normal lane-based processing and generate output operands in which the different portions of the output operand depend upon multiple different elements within the input operand.
Abstract:
A global interrupt number space 38 is provided for use in message signalled interrupts. Interrupt destinations 10, 12, 14, 16 are provided with pending interrupt caches 24 with either backing storage provided by global pending status memory 34 shared by all the caches or separate individual pending status memories 56. The interrupt number space may be divided into regions with programmable mapping data being used to indicate which interrupt destinations are responsible for which regions. When interrupts are migrated from one interrupt destination to another, then such programmable mapping data is updated. Pending interrupts may be flushed back to the global pending status memory 34 during the reassignment process such that this pending interrupt data may be picked up by the newly responsible interrupt destination.
Abstract:
Apparatus for data processing and a method of data processing are provided. Data processing operations are performed in response to data processing instructions. An error exception condition is set if a data processing operation has not been successful. It is determined if an error memory barrier condition exists and an error memory barrier procedure is performed in dependence on whether the error memory barrier condition exists. The error memory barrier procedure comprises, if the error exception condition is set and if an error mask condition is set: setting a deferred error exception condition and clearing the error exception condition.