Abstract: According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a computer implemented method includes receiving, at a secure interface control of a computer system, an access request for a data structure related to a secure entity in a secure domain of the computer system. The secure interface control can check for a virtual storage address associated with a location of the data structure. The secure interface control can request an address translation using a virtual address space of a non-secure entity of the computer system based on determining that the location of the data structure is associated with the virtual storage address. The secure interface control can access the data structure based on a result of the address translation.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a computer implemented method includes receiving a request from a requestor, to access a page of memory. The requestor is either a secure entity of a computer system or a secure interface control of the computer system. The request is tagged as a secure request from a secure domain of the computer system. It is verified that the request is making an access to a page that is both registered as secure and registered as belonging to the secure domain. The requestor is provided access to the page based at least in part on the page being registered as secure and as belonging to the secure domain. The requestor is prevented from accessing the page, based on one or both of the page not being registered as secure, and the page not being registered as belonging to the secure domain.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a computer implemented method includes receiving, at a secure interface control of a computer system, an access request for a data structure related to a secure entity in a secure domain of the computer system. The secure interface control can check for a virtual storage address associated with a location of the data structure. The secure interface control can request an address translation using a virtual address space of a non-secure entity of the computer system based on determining that the location of the data structure is associated with the virtual storage address. The secure interface control can access the data structure based on a result of the address translation.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a computer implemented method includes receiving a query for an amount of storage in memory of a computer system to be donated to a secure interface control of the computer system. The secure interface control can determine the amount of storage to be donated based on a plurality of secure entities supported by the secure interface control as a plurality of predetermined values. The secure interface control can return a response to the query indicative of the amount of storage as a response to the query. A donation of storage to secure for use by the secure interface control can be received based on the response to the query.

Abstract: A central processing unit measurement facility is virtualized in order to support concurrent use of the facility by multiple guests executing within a virtual environment. Each guest of the environment has independent control over disablement/enablement of the facility for that guest.

Abstract: In a processor supporting execution of a plurality of functions of an instruction, an instruction blocking value is set for blocking one or more of the plurality of functions, such that an attempt to execute one of the blocked functions, will result in a program exception and the instruction will not execute, however the same instruction will be able to execute any of the functions that are not blocked functions.

Abstract: In a processor supporting execution of a plurality of functions of an instruction, an instruction blocking value is set for blocking one or more of the plurality of functions, such that an attempt to execute one of the blocked functions, will result in a program exception and the instruction will not execute, however the same instruction will be able to execute any of the functions that are not blocked functions.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a computer implemented method includes receiving a query for an amount of storage in memory of a computer system to be donated to a secure interface control of the computer system. The secure interface control can determine the amount of storage to be donated based on a plurality of secure entities supported by the secure interface control as a plurality of predetermined values. The secure interface control can return a response to the query indicative of the amount of storage as a response to the query. A donation of storage to secure for use by the secure interface control can be received based on the response to the query.

Abstract: A central processing unit measurement facility is virtualized in order to support concurrent use of the facility by multiple guests executing within a virtual environment. Each guest of the environment has independent control over disablement/enablement of the facility for that guest.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a computer implemented method includes receiving, by a hypervisor that is executing on a host server, a request to dispatch a virtual machine. The method further includes, based on a determination that the virtual machine is a secure virtual machine, preventing the hypervisor from directly accessing any data of the secure virtual machine by determining, by a secure interface control of the host server, a security mode of the virtual machine. Based on the security mode being a first mode, the secure interface control loads a virtual machine state from a first state descriptor, which is stored in a non-secure portion of memory. Based on the security mode being a second mode, the secure interface control loads the virtual machine state from a second state descriptor, which is stored in a secure portion of the memory.

Abstract: Increasing the scope of local purges of structures associated with address translation. A hardware thread of a physical core of a machine configuration issues a purge request. A determination is made as to whether the purge request is a local request. Based on the purge request being a local request, entries of a structure associated with address translation are purged on at least multiple hardware threads of a set of hardware threads of the machine configuration.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a computer implemented method includes executing, by a virtual machine that is executing on a host server, a stream of instructions, wherein an instruction from the stream of instructions is to be intercepted to a hypervisor. The method further includes, based on a determination that the virtual machine is a secure virtual machine, preventing the hypervisor from directly accessing any data of the secure virtual machine. The method further includes performing by a secure interface control of the host server, based on a determination that the instruction is not interpretable by the secure interface control itself, extracting one or more parameter data associated with the instruction from the secure virtual machine, and storing the parameter data into a buffer that is accessible by the hypervisor. The instruction is subsequently intercepted into the hypervisor.

Abstract: A marking capability is used to provide an indication of whether a block of memory is backing an address translation structure of a control program being managed by a virtual machine manager. By providing the marking, the virtual machine manager may check the indication prior to making paging decisions. With this information, a hint may be provided to the hardware to be used in decisions relating to purging associated address translation structures, such as translation look-aside buffer (TLB) entries.

Abstract: A method is provided by a secure interface control of a computer that provides a partial instruction interpretation for an instruction which enables an interruption. The secure interface control fetches a program status word or a control register value from a secure guest storage. The secure interface control notifies an untrusted entity of guest interruption mask updates. The untrusted entity is executed on and in communication with hardware of the computer through the secure interface control to support operations of a secure entity executing on the untrusted entity. The secure interface control receives, from the untrusted entity, a request to present a highest priority, enabled guest interruption in response to the notifying of the guest interruption mask updates. The secure interface control moves interruption information into a guest prefix page and injecting the interruption in the secure entity when an injection of the interruption is determined to be valid.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and a system where a secure interface control determines whether an instance of a secure guest image can execute based on metadata. The secure interface control (“SC”) obtains metadata linked to an image of a secure guest of an owner and managed by the hypervisor that includes control(s) that indicates whether the hypervisor is permitted to execute an instance of a secure guest generated with the image in the computing system based on system setting(s) in the computing system. The SC intercepts a command by the hypervisor to initiate the instance. The SC determines the presence or the absence of system setting(s) in the computing system. The SC determines if the hypervisor is permitted to execute the instance. If so, the SC enables initiation of the instance by the hypervisor. If not, the SC ignores the command.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a computer implemented method includes receiving, by a hypervisor that is executing on a host server, a request to dispatch a virtual machine. The method further includes, based on a determination that the virtual machine is a secure virtual machine, preventing the hypervisor from directly accessing any data of the secure virtual machine by determining, by a secure interface control of the host server, a security mode of the virtual machine. Based on the security mode being a first mode, the secure interface control loads a virtual machine state from a first state descriptor, which is stored in a non-secure portion of memory. Based on the security mode being a second mode, the secure interface control loads the virtual machine state from a second state descriptor, which is stored in a secure portion of the memory.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a computer implemented method includes receiving, at a secure interface control of a computer system, an access request for a data structure related to a secure entity in a secure domain of the computer system. The secure interface control can check for a virtual storage address associated with a location of the data structure. The secure interface control can request an address translation using a virtual address space of a non-secure entity of the computer system based on determining that the location of the data structure is associated with the virtual storage address. The secure interface control can access the data structure based on a result of the address translation.

Abstract: A method is provided. The method is implemented by a communication interface of a secure interface control executing between the secure interface control of a computer and hardware of the computer/In this regard, the communication interface receives an instruction and determines whether the instruction is a millicoded instruction. Further, the communication interface enters a millimode comprising enabling the secure interface control to engage millicode of the hardware through the communication interface based on the instruction being the millicoded instruction.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a computer implemented method includes receiving a secure access request for a secure page of memory at a secure interface control of a computer system. The secure interface control can check a disable virtual address compare state associated with the secure page. The secure interface control can disable a virtual address check in accessing the secure page to support mapping of a plurality of virtual addresses to a same absolute address to the secure page based on the disable virtual address compare state being set and/or to support secure pages that are accessed using an absolute address and do not have an associated virtual address.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a computer implemented method includes executing, by a virtual machine that is executing on a host server, a stream of instructions, wherein an instruction from the stream of instructions is to be intercepted to a hypervisor. The method further includes, based on a determination that the virtual machine is a secure virtual machine, preventing the hypervisor from directly accessing any data of the secure virtual machine. The method further includes performing by a secure interface control of the host server, based on a determination that the instruction is not interpretable by the secure interface control itself, extracting one or more parameter data associated with the instruction from the secure virtual machine, and storing the parameter data into a buffer that is accessible by the hypervisor. The instruction is subsequently intercepted into the hypervisor.