摘要:
An apparatus providing for a secure execution environment. The apparatus includes a microprocessor that is configured to execute non-secure application programs and a secure application program, where the non-secure application programs are accessed from a system memory via a system bus. The microprocessor has a non-secure memory and a secure volatile memory. The non-secure memory is configured to store portions of the non-secure application programs for execution by the microprocessor, where the non-secure memory is observable and accessible by the non-secure application programs and by system bus resources within the microprocessor. The secure volatile memory is configured to store the secure application program for execution by the microprocessor, where the secure volatile memory is isolated from the non-secure application programs and the system bus resources within the microprocessor.
摘要:
An apparatus and method for performing cryptographic operations is provided. The apparatus includes a cryptographic instruction, CBC block pointer logic, and execution logic. The cryptographic instruction is received by a pipeline microprocessor as part of an application program executing on the pipeline microprocessor. The cryptographic instruction prescribes one of the cryptographic operations. The one of the cryptographic operations includes a plurality of CBC block cryptographic operations performed on a corresponding plurality of input text blocks. The CBC block pointer logic is operatively coupled to the cryptographic instruction. The CBC block pointer logic directs the pipeline microprocessor to update pointer registers and intermediate results for each of the plurality of CBC block cryptographic operations. The execution logic is operatively coupled to the CBC block pointer logic. The execution logic executes the one of the cryptographic operations.
摘要:
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for performing cryptographic operations on a plurality of input data blocks within a processor, where the size of the input data blocks is programmable. In one embodiment, an apparatus for performing cryptographic operations is provided. The apparatus includes fetch logic and execution logic. The fetch logic is disposed within a microprocessor and is configured to receive a cryptographic instruction single atomic cryptographic instruction as part of an instruction flow executing on the microprocessor. The cryptographic instructionsingle atomic cryptographic instruction prescribes one of the cryptographic operations, and also one of a plurality of data block sizes. The execution logic is disposed within the microprocessor and is operatively coupled to the single atomic cryptographic instruction. The execution logic executes the one of the cryptographic operations. The execution logic has a block size controller that employs the one of a plurality of data block sizes during execution of the one of the cryptographic operations.
摘要:
A microprocessor includes a private RAM (PRAM), for use by microcode, which is non-user-accessible and within its own distinct address space from the system memory address space. The PRAM is denser and slower than user-accessible registers of the microprocessor macroarchitecture, thereby enabling it to provide significantly more storage for microcode. The microinstruction set includes a microinstruction for loading data from the PRAM into the user-accessible registers, and a microinstruction for storing data from user-accessible registers to the PRAM. The microcode may also use the two microinstructions to load/store between the PRAM and non-user-accessible registers of the microarchitecture. Examples of PRAM uses include: computational temporary storage area; storage of x86 VMX VMCS in response to VMREAD and VMWRITE macroinstructions; instantiation of non-user-accessible storage, such as the x86 SMBASE register; and instantiation of x86 MSRs that tolerate the additional access latency of the PRAM, such as the IA32_SYSENTER_CS MSR.
摘要:
An apparatus in a microprocessor for selectively retiring a prefetched cache line is disclosed. The microprocessor includes a prefetch buffer that stores a cache line prefetched from a system memory coupled to the microprocessor. The microprocessor includes a cache memory, comprising an array of storage elements for storing cache lines. The array is indexed by an index input. The microprocessor includes a counter that counts a number of accesses to a replacement candidate line in the cache. The replacement candidate line is stored in a storage element of the array indexed by an index portion of an address of the prefetched cache line stored in the prefetch buffer. The microprocessor also includes control logic that selectively replaces the replacement candidate cache line in the cache memory with the prefetched cache line from the prefetch buffer based on the number of accesses to the replacement candidate line.
摘要:
A microprocessor apparatus and method are provided, for selectively controlling write back of a result. The apparatus includes translation logic and extended execution logic. The translation logic translates an extended instruction into corresponding micro instructions. The extended instruction has an extended prefix and an extended prefix tag. The extended prefix precludes write back of the result, where the result is that which is produced by executing an operation prescribed by said extended instruction, and wherein the result would otherwise be written back into a destination register. The extended prefix tag indicates the extended prefix, where the extended prefix tag is an otherwise architecturally specified opcode within an instruction set for a microprocessor. The extended execution logic is coupled to the translation logic. The extended execution logic receives the corresponding micro instructions, and executes the operation to generate the result, and precludes write back of the result.
摘要:
A microprocessor that includes a random number generator (RNG) and an instruction for storing random data bytes generated by the generator. The RNG includes multiple buffers for buffering the random bytes and counters associated with each buffer for keeping a count of the number of bytes in each buffer. The instruction specifies a destination for the bytes to be stored to. In one embodiment, the number of bytes written to memory is variable and is the number of bytes available when the instruction is executed; in another, the instruction specifies the number. If variable, the instruction atomically stores a count specifying the number of valid bytes actually stored. In one embodiment the destination is a location in system memory. The count may be stored to memory with the bytes; or the count may be stored to a user-visible register. An x86 REP prefix may be used.
摘要:
An apparatus and method are provided for extending a microprocessor instruction set to allow for selective suppression of store checking at the instruction level. The apparatus includes fetch logic, and translation logic. The fetch logic receives an extended instruction. The extended instruction has an extended prefix and an extended prefix tag. The extended prefix specifies that store checking be suppressed for the extended instruction. The extended prefix tag is an otherwise architectural opcode within an existing instruction set. The fetch logic precludes store checking for pending store events associated with the extended instruction. The translation logic is coupled to the fetch logic. The translation logic translates the extended instruction into a micro instruction sequence that sequence directs the microprocessor to exclude store checking during execution of a prescribed operation.
摘要:
A microprocessor with multiple random bit generators is disclosed. The multiple random bit generators each generate a stream of random bits. One of the streams of random bits is selected to be used to accumulate into random bytes for provision to application programs. Which of the multiple random bit generator random bit streams is selected is determined by a selection value stored in a control register of the microprocessor. The selection value is programmable by an instruction executed by the microprocessor.
摘要:
A method and apparatus are provided for storing a flags register in a processor. In response to a macro instruction directing the store operation, such as a push flags macro instruction, a mask is generated using privilege level information (i.e., current operating privilege level) to specify those bits of the flags register that can be stored. The mask is then ANDed with contents of the flags register to yield a result and the result is stored on a stack in memory.