Abstract: A processing system includes a memory configured to store encrypted information representing state and control information for a guest virtual machine. The processing system further includes a processor configured to selectively reserve exclusive use of a set of performance monitoring counters by the guest virtual machine during execution of the guest virtual machine based on a state of a first control field accessed from the encrypted information for the guest virtual machine. The processor further is configured to permit or deny use of the set of performance monitoring counters by the guest virtual machine based on a state of a second control field set by a hypervisor and accessed from the decryption of the encrypted information for the guest virtual machine accessed from the memory.

Abstract: A processor includes a register file and control logic that detects multiple different sets of sequential zero bits of a register in the register file, wherein each of the multiple different sets has a bit length that corresponds to a partial instruction width and operates at a first partial instruction width or a second partial instruction width with the register file depending on number of sets of zero bits detected in the register. In certain examples, the control logic causes operating at first instruction width that avoids merging of a first bit length of data in the register and operating at the second instruction width that avoids merging of a second bit length of data in the register. In some examples, a register rename map table incudes multiple zero bits that identify the detected multiple different sets of bits of sequential zeros.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a method for tagging control information associated with a physical address in a processing system, including setting a hardware tag for the control information, the hardware tag being invisible to a software system in the processing system; joining the hardware tag with the physical address to form a compound physical address, the hardware tag including M bits carried by a dedicated hardware tag control line, the physical address including N bits carried by a physical address bus, M and N being positive integers; and tagging the control information with the hardware tag in the compound physical address.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a method for tagging control information associated with a physical address in a processing system, including setting a hardware tag for the control information, the hardware tag being invisible to a software system in the processing system; joining the hardware tag with the physical address to form a compound physical address, the hardware tag including M bits carried by a dedicated hardware tag control line, the physical address including N bits carried by a physical address bus, M and N being positive integers; and tagging the control information with the hardware tag in the compound physical address.