Dynamic key reassignment for memory encryption keys
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsPatrick James Meaney, Glenn David Gilda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Dynamic key reassignment for memory encryption keys, including: performing a key reassignment for a memory area by, for each memory address of a plurality of memory addresses in the memory area: reading data from a selected memory address by decrypting the data using a first encryption key stored in a first encryption key register, wherein the selected memory address is stored in a scrub address register incremented after each iteration of the key reassignment; and writing the data to the selected memory address by encrypting the data using a second encryption key stored in a second encryption key register.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method comprising:
- performing a key reassignment for a memory area by, for each memory address of a plurality of memory addresses in the memory area:
- reading data from a selected memory address by decrypting the data using a first encryption key stored in a first encryption key register, wherein the selected memory address is stored in a scrub address register incremented after each iteration of the key reassignment;
- and
- writing the data to the selected memory address by encrypting the data using a second encryption key stored in a second encryption key register.
An apparatus comprising:
- a memory;
- and
- a memory controller unit operatively coupled to the memory, the memory controller unit configured to:
- perform a key reassignment for a memory area, wherein, for each memory address of a plurality of memory addresses in the memory area, the memory controller unit is configured to:
- read data from a selected memory address by decrypting the data using a first encryption key stored in a first encryption key register, wherein the selected memory address is stored in a scrub address register incremented after each iteration of the key reassignment;
- and
- write the data to the selected memory address by encrypting the data using a second encryption key stored in a second encryption key register.
A computer program product comprising:
- one or more computer-readable storage media;
- and
- program instructions stored on the one or more storage media to perform operations comprising:
- performing a key reassignment for a memory area by, for each memory address of a plurality of memory addresses in the memory area:
- reading data from a selected memory address by decrypting the data using a first encryption key stored in a first encryption key register, wherein the selected memory address is stored in a scrub address register incremented after each iteration of the key reassignment;
- and
- writing the data to the selected memory address by encrypting the data using a second encryption key stored in a second encryption key register.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.