Abstract: Specialized hardware functions for high assurance processing are seldom integrated into commodity processors. Furthermore, as chips increase in complexity, trustworthy processing of sensitive information can become increasingly difficult to achieve due to extensive on-chip resource sharing and the lack of corresponding protection mechanisms. Embodiments in accordance with the invention allow for enhanced security of commodity integrated circuits, using minor modifications, in conjunction with a separate integrated circuit that can provide monitoring, access control, and other useful security functions. In one embodiment, a separate control plane, stacked using 3-D integration technology, allows for the function and economics of specialized security mechanisms, not available from a coprocessor alone, to be integrated with the underlying commodity computing hardware.

Abstract: A pattern matching technique for high throughput network processing includes a simple yet powerful special purpose architecture and a set of novel string matching algorithms that can work in unison. The novel set of algorithms allow for bit-level partitioning of rules such that may be more easily implemented in hardware or software. The result is a device that maintains tight worst case bounds on performance, can be updated with new rules without interrupting operation, compiles in seconds instead of hours, and is ten times more efficient than the existing best known solutions in this area.