System and method to protect vital memory space from non-malicious writes in a multi domain system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsJames C. Farmer, Kent A. Dickey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method is described in which protected memory writes are achieved in single transaction without leaving open a window in time for erroneous data to corrupt space in a target register. A single data packet preferably includes both user data to be written to a target storage device or location as well as the key data for authorizing the writing of such user data. Key data is preferably calculated by manipulating user data contained in the same packet or transmission thereby simplifying a verification process conducted the controller associated with target storage location.
Claims13
A method for protecting memory space in a target storage device during a write operation in a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:
- composing a single data packet including user data and key data, wherein the composing step includes:
- gathering user data for transmission to said data storage device,
- calculating key data based on said gathered user data, wherein the calculating step includes performing a boolean operation on selected bits of said user data to generate said key data, and
- combining said gathered user data and said calculated key data to form said composed single data packet;
- transmitting said single data packet to a data storage device;
- determining whether said key data is valid;
- and
- writing said user data into said data storage device only when said key data is valid.
A system for conducting a protected memory write to a storage device in a single transaction within a computer system, the system comprising:
- means for simultaneously delivering user data and key data to a controller of said storage device;
- and
- means for determining whether said key data authorizes writing said user data to said storage device;
- and
- an algorithm at a delivering device for calculating said key data, wherein said algorithm calculates said key data from said user data and based on a clock setting of said computer system.
A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for protecting memory space in a target storage device during a write operation in a computer system, the computer program product comprising:
- code for composing a single data packet including user data and key data, wherein the code for composing includes:
- code for gathering user data for transmission to said data storage device;
- code for calculating key data based on said gathered user data, wherein the code for calculating includes code for performing a boolean operation on selected bits of said user data to generate said key data;
- and
- code for combining said gathered user data and said calculated key data to form said composed single data packet;
- code for transmitting said single data packet to a data storage device;
- and
- code for determining whether said key data is valid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.