Abstract: An apparatus and method for switching between different types of paging using separate control registers and without disabling paging. For example, one embodiment of a processor comprises: a first control register to store a first base address of a first paging structure associated with a first type of paging having a first number of paging structure levels; a second control register to store a second base address of a second paging structure associated with a first type of paging having a second number of paging structure levels greater than the first number of paging structure levels; page walk circuitry to select either the first base address from the first control register or the second base address from the second control register responsive to a first address translation request, the selection based on a characteristic of program code initiating the address translation request.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses relating to instructions to reset software thread runtime property histories in a hardware processor are described. In one embodiment, a hardware processor includes a hardware guide scheduler comprising a plurality of software thread runtime property histories; a decoder to decode a single instruction into a decoded single instruction, the single instruction having a field that identifies a model-specific register; and an execution circuit to execute the decoded single instruction to check that an enable bit of the model-specific register is set, and when the enable bit is set, to reset the plurality of software thread runtime property histories of the hardware guide scheduler.

Abstract: Techniques relating to virtual idle loops are described. In an embodiment, decoder circuitry decodes a single instruction. The single instruction includes a field for an identifier of a first source operand, a field for an identifier of a second source operand, a field for an identifier of a destination operand, and a field for an opcode. Execution circuitry executes the decoded instruction according to the opcode to: write the first source operand to a memory location identified by the second source operand; compute an index into a control array based at least in part on the destination operand; and determine whether to exit to a hypervisor of a Virtual Machine (VM) based at least in part on data stored at a location in the control array, wherein the location is to be identified by the computed index. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a processor comprises: a first configuration register to store quality of service (QoS) information for a process address space identifier (PASID) value associated with a first process; and an execution circuit coupled to the first configuration register, where the execution circuit, in response to a first instruction, is to obtain command data from a first location identified in a source operand of the first instruction, insert the QoS information and the PASID value into the command data, and send a request comprising the command data to a device coupled to the processor, to enable the device to use the QoS information of a plurality of requests to manage sharing between a plurality of processes. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing non-maskable interrupt source information. For example, one embodiment of a processor comprises: a plurality of cores comprising execution circuitry to execute instructions and process data; local interrupt circuitry comprising a plurality of registers to store interrupt-related data including non-maskable interrupt (NMI) data related to a first NMI; and non-maskable interrupt (NMI) processing mode selection circuitry, responsive to a request, to select between at least two NMI processing modes to process the first NMI including: a first NMI processing mode in which the plurality of registers are to store first data related to a first NMI, wherein no NMI source information related to a source of the NMI is included in the first data, and a second NMI processing mode in which the plurality of registers are to store both the first data related to the first NMI and second data comprising NMI source information indicating the NMI source.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a processor for redirecting requests includes a processing engine to execute a guest system, and monitoring circuitry coupled to the processing engine. The monitoring circuitry may be to: receive, from the guest system, a first request to access a first virtual counter; in response to a receipt of the first request, determine, based a mapping register of the processor, a first physical counter mapped to the first virtual counter; and redirect the first request to the first physical counter mapped to the first virtual counter. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems, methods, and apparatuses for heterogeneous computing are described. In some embodiments, a hardware heterogeneous scheduler dispatches instructions for execution on one or more plurality of heterogeneous processing elements, the instructions corresponding to a code fragment to be processed by the one or more of the plurality of heterogeneous processing elements, wherein the instructions are native instructions to at least one of the one or more of the plurality of heterogeneous processing elements.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing non-maskable interrupt source information. For example, one embodiment of a processor comprises: a plurality of cores comprising execution circuitry to execute instructions and process data; local interrupt circuitry comprising a plurality of registers to store interrupt-related data including non-maskable interrupt (NMI) data related to a first NMI; and non-maskable interrupt (NMI) processing mode selection circuitry, responsive to a request, to select between at least two NMI processing modes to process the first NMI including: a first NMI processing mode in which the plurality of registers are to store first data related to a first NMI, wherein no NMI source information related to a source of the NMI is included in the first data, and a second NMI processing mode in which the plurality of registers are to store both the first data related to the first NMI and second data comprising NMI source information indicating the NMI source.

Abstract: Systems and methods for delivering interrupts to user-level applications. An example processing system comprises: a memory configured to store a plurality of user-level APIC data structures and a plurality of user-level interrupt handler address data structures corresponding to a plurality of user-level applications being executed by the processing system; and a processing core configured, responsive to receiving a notification of a user-level interrupt, to: set a pending interrupt bit flag having a position defined by an identifier of the user-level interrupt in a user-level APIC data structure associated with a user-level application that is currently being executed by the processing core, and invoke a user-level interrupt handler identified by a user-level interrupt handler address data structure associated with the user-level application, for a pending user-level interrupt having a highest priority among one or more pending user-level interrupts identified by the user-level APIC data structure.

Abstract: A processor includes a decode unit to decode an instruction that is to indicate a page of a protected container memory, and a storage location outside of the protected container memory. An execution unit, in response to the instruction, is to ensure that there are no writable references to the page of the protected container memory while it has a write protected state. The execution unit is to encrypt a copy of the page of the protected container memory. The execution unit is to store the encrypted copy of the page to the storage location outside of the protected container memory, after it has been ensured that there are no writable references. The execution unit is to leave the page of the protected container memory in the write protected state, which is also valid and readable, after the encrypted copy has been stored to the storage location.

Abstract: Implementations describe providing isolation in virtualized systems using trust domains. In one implementation, a processing device includes a memory ownership table (MOT) that is access-controlled against software access. The processing device further includes a processing core to execute a trust domain resource manager (TDRM) to manage a trust domain (TD), maintain a trust domain control structure (TDCS) for managing global metadata for each TD, maintain an execution state of the TD in at least one trust domain thread control structure (TD-TCS) that is access-controlled against software accesses, and reference the MOT to obtain at least one key identifier (key ID) corresponding to an encryption key assigned to the TD, the key ID to allow the processing device to decrypt memory pages assigned to the TD responsive to the processing device executing in the context of the TD, the memory pages assigned to the TD encrypted with the encryption key.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a processor to read a data line from memory in response to a read request from a VM. The data line comprises encrypted memory data. The apparatus also comprises a memory encryption circuit in the processor. The memory encryption circuit is to use an address of the read request to select an entry from a P2K table; obtain a key identifier from the selected entry of the P2K table; use the key identifier to select a key for the read request; and use the selected key to decrypt the encrypted memory data into decrypted memory data. The processor is further to make the decrypted memory data available to the VM. The P2K table comprises multiple entries, each comprising (a) a key identifier for a page of memory and (b) an encrypted address for that page of memory. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Techniques for flexible return and event delivery are described. In particular, in some examples, event delivery causes a stack switch if the event stack level is greater than the current stack level wherein the new stack level is always the greater of the current stack level and the event stack level.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses relating to instructions to reset software thread runtime property histories in a hardware processor are described. In one embodiment, a hardware processor includes a hardware guide scheduler comprising a plurality of software thread runtime property histories; a decoder to decode a single instruction into a decoded single instruction, the single instruction having a field that identifies a model-specific register; and an execution circuit to execute the decoded single instruction to check that an enable bit of the model-specific register is set, and when the enable bit is set, to reset the plurality of software thread runtime property histories of the hardware guide scheduler.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems, methods, and apparatuses for heterogeneous computing are described. In some embodiments, a hardware heterogeneous scheduler dispatches instructions for execution on one or more plurality of heterogeneous processing elements, the instructions corresponding to a code fragment to be processed by the one or more of the plurality of heterogeneous processing elements, wherein the instructions are native instructions to at least one of the one or more of the plurality of heterogeneous processing elements.

Abstract: Implementations describe providing isolation in virtualized systems using trust domains. In one implementation, a processing device includes a memory ownership table (MOT) that is access-controlled against software access. The processing device further includes a processing core to execute a trust domain resource manager (TDRM) to manage a trust domain (TD), maintain a trust domain control structure (TDCS) for managing global metadata for each TD, maintain an execution state of the TD in at least one trust domain thread control structure (TD-TCS) that is access-controlled against software accesses, and reference the MOT to obtain at least one key identifier (key ID) corresponding to an encryption key assigned to the TD, the key ID to allow the processing device to decrypt memory pages assigned to the TD responsive to the processing device executing in the context of the TD, the memory pages assigned to the TD encrypted with the encryption key.

Abstract: Embodiments of an invention for protecting supervisor mode information are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a storage location, instruction hardware, execution hardware, and control logic. The storage location is to store an indicator to enable supervisor mode information protection. The instruction hardware is to receive an instruction to access supervisor mode information. The execution hardware is to execute the instruction. The control logic is to prevent execution of the instruction if supervisor mode information protection is enabled and a current privilege level is less privileged than a supervisor mode.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for efficiently managing shadow stacks. For example, one embodiment of a processor comprises: a plurality of registers to store a plurality of shadow stack pointers (SSPs); event processing circuitry to select a first SSP of the plurality of SSPs from a first register of the plurality of registers responsive to receipt of a first event associated with a first event priority level, the first SSP usable to identify a top of a first shadow stack; verification and utilization checking circuitry to determine whether the first SSP has been previously verified, wherein if the first SSP has not been previously verified then initiating a set of atomic operations to verify the first SSP and confirm that the first SSP is not in use, the set of atomic operations using a locking operation to lock data until the set of atomic operations are complete.

Abstract: Implementations of the disclosure provide a processing device comprising an address translation circuit to intercept a work request from an I/O device. The work request comprises a first ASID to map to a work queue. A second ASID of a host is allocated for the first ASID based on the work queue. The second ASID is allocated to at least one of: an ASID register for a dedicated work queue (DWQ) or an ASID translation table for a shared work queue (SWQ). Responsive to receiving a work submission from the SVM client to the I/O device, the first ASID of the application container is translated to the second ASID of the host machine for submission to the I/O device using at least one of: the ASID register for the DWQ or the ASID translation table for the SWQ based on the work queue associated with the I/O device.

Abstract: A processor executes an untrusted VMM that manages execution of a guest workload. The processor also populates an entry in a memory ownership table for the guest workload. The memory ownership table is indexed by an original hardware physical address, the entry comprises an expected guest address that corresponds to the original hardware physical address, and the entry is encrypted with a key domain key. In response to receiving a request from the guest workload to access memory using a requested guest address, the processor (a) obtains, from the untrusted VMM, a hardware physical address that corresponds to the requested guest address; (b) uses that physical address as an index to find an entry in the memory ownership table; and (c) verifies whether the expected guest address from the found entry matches the requested guest address. Other embodiments are described and claimed.