Method and apparatus for storing and retrieving security attributes

A method for providing security in a computer system, comprising:

• storing security attributes to a plurality of portions of memory of a computer system in a multi-level lookup table having at least one first table and at least one second table, each of the first and second tables occupying one page;
• storing at least a subset of said security attributes in a cache;
• receiving a request to access a portion of memory;
• determining if the security attributes associated with said requested portion of memory are stored in said cache, and retrieving the stored security attributes from said cache in response to detecting that the security attributes are stored therein;
• retrieving the stored security attributes from the multi-level lookup table in response to detecting the absence of said stored security attributes in said cache;
• and
• permitting access to the requested portion of memory in response to the retrieved security attributes.

An apparatus for providing security in a computer system comprising:

• an address generator adapted for producing an address associated with a memory location in the computer system;
• a cache adapted for receiving at least a portion of said address and delivering security attributes stored therein associated with said address;
• and
• a multi-level lookup table having at least one first table and at least one second table, each of the first and second tables occupying one page, the multi-level lookup table being adapted for receiving at least a portion of said address and delivering security attributes stored therein associated with said address in response to the absence of said security attributes being located in said cache.

An apparatus for storing security attributes in a computer system, comprising:

• means for assigning security attributes to each of a plurality of portions of memory of a computer system;
• means for storing said security attributes in a multi-level lookup table having at least one first table and at least one second table, each of the first and second tables occupying one page;
• and
• means for storing at least a subset of said security attributes in a cache.

An apparatus for providing security in a computer system, comprising:

• means for storing security attributes to a plurality of portions of memory of a computer system in a multi-level lookup table having at least one first table and at least one second table, each of the first and second tables occupant one page;
• means for storing at least a subset of said security attributes in a cache;
• means for receiving a request to access a portion of memory;
• means for determining if the security attributes associated with said requested portion of memory are stored in said cache, and retrieving the stored security attributes from sad cache in response to detecting that the security attributes are stored therein;
• means for retrieving the stored security attributes from the multi-level lookup table in response to detecting the absence of said stored security attributes in said cache;
• and
• means for permitting access to the requested portion of memory in response to the retrieved security attributes.