Controlling access to previously-stored logic in a reconfigurable logic device

• US 10,642,492 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Mark Bradley, Izenberg, Erez, Johnson, Robert Michael, Khan, Asif, Atta, Islam Mohamed Hatem Abdulfattah Mohamed, Bshara, Nafea, Pettey, Christopher Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez, David E
• Application Number:
  US15/282,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20180095670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/28 using burst mode transfer, e.g. direct memory access DMA, cycle steal G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7871 Reconfiguration support, e.g. configuration loading, configuration switching, or hardware OS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/1072 for memories with random access ports synchronised on clock signal pulse trains, e.g. synchronous memories, self timed memories

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for securely erasing partitions of reconfigurable logic devices such as FPGAs in a multi-tenant server environment. In one example, a method of securely erasing an FPGA includes identifying one partition of previously-programmed resources in the FPGA, erasing the identified partition by storing new values in memory or storage elements of the identified partition, and storing new values in memory or storage elements of additional external resources electrically connected to the integrated circuit and associated with the identified partition. Thus, other partitions and subsequent users of the identified partition are prevented from accessing the securely erased data. A configuration circuit, accessible by a host computer via DMA, can be programmed into the FPGA reconfigurable logic for performing the disclosed erasing operations.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computing host comprising one or more processors; and

a single field programmable gate array (FPGA) comprising;

application logic partitions of the FPGA, each of the application logic partitions comprising;

(1) a different one or more of a plurality of reconfigurable logic portions of the FPGA and (2) a different one or more memory devices coupled to the one or more reconfigurable logic portions, each of the memory devices accessible by operation of the respective coupled reconfigurable logic portion,

a host logic partition of the FPGA, and

an internal configuration circuit of the FPGA configured to erase data stored in a selected one of the application logic partitions,

wherein the host logic partition of the FPGA is configured to supervise operations of the internal configuration circuit of the FPGA.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the data that the internal configuration circuit is configured to erase comprises data stored in one or more of latches, flip-flops, or configuration memory of the selected one of the application logic partitions; and

the internal configuration circuit is further configured to erase data stored in the memory devices, and wherein the memory devices comprise internal RAM of the FPGA.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal configuration circuit is further configured to receive instructions or data via a direct memory access (DMA) that causes the internal configuration circuit to erase the data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal configuration circuit is further configured to isolate the selected application logic partition prior to erasing by decoupling the selected application logic partition from other partitions.

5. A system, comprising:

a server computer comprising one or more processors;

a reconfigurable logic device coupled to the server computer, the reconfigurable logic device having logic partitioned into a plurality of user logic partitions and a host logic partition, each of the user logic partitions being controlled by a different process executing on the server computer to perform a logic function; and

a reconfiguration circuit of the reconfigurable logic device configured to erase data from a selected one of the user logic partitions by overwriting values in memory and storage and clearing logic configurations of the selected user logic partition,

wherein the host logic partition is configured to supervise operations of the reconfiguration circuit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the reconfiguration circuit is further configured to erase data from additional resources coupled to an integrated circuit comprising the reconfigurable logic devices, the additional resources being associated with the selected user logic partition.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the reconfiguration circuit is further configured to erase data from the selected logic partition by applying a configuration bitstream to the reconfigurable logic device.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the reconfiguration circuit is further configured to allow continued operation of partitions within the reconfigurable logic device other than the selected user logic partition while the reconfiguration circuit erases the data.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the reconfiguration circuit is coupled to the server computer with a direct memory access (DMA) connection, and wherein the server computer is configured to send commands or data via the DMA connection, the commands or data causing the reconfiguration circuit to erase the data.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the memory comprises;

block random access memory (RAM),

static RAM;

dynamic RAM,

flash memory,

embedded DRAM,

configuration memory,

distributed RAM, or

lookup-table RAM; and

the storage comprises;

latches, or

flip-flops.

11. A method, comprising:

with a reconfiguration circuit coupled to a reconfigurable logic device having logic partitioned into a plurality of user logic partitions to perform logic functions by hardware resources of the reconfigurable logic device based on values stored in memory and storage within or associated with the reconfigurable logic device;

erasing data from a selected one of the user logic partitions of the reconfigurable logic device by overwriting values in memory and storage within or associated with the selected user logic partition and by clearing logic configurations of the selected user logic partition, wherein each of the user logic partitions is controlled by a different process executing on a server computer coupled to the reconfigurable logic device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to receiving a request to erase the selected user logic partition from the server computer;

identifying the selected user logic partition;

identifying additional resources associated with the selected user logic partition; and

storing new values in memory or storage elements of the selected user logic partition.

13. A system, comprising:

a server computer comprising one or more processors;

a reconfigurable logic device coupled to the server computer, the reconfigurable logic device having logic partitioned into a plurality of user logic partitions and a host logic partition, each of the user logic partitions being controlled by a different process executing on the server computer to perform a logic function; and

a reconfiguration circuit coupled to the reconfigurable logic device, the reconfiguration circuit configured to erase data from a selected one of the user logic partitions, wherein the reconfiguration circuit is coupled to the server computer with a direct memory access (DMA) connection,

wherein the host logic partition is configured to supervise operations of the reconfiguration circuit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the server computer is configured to send commands or data via the DMA connection, the commands or data causing the reconfiguration circuit to erase data from the selected one of the user logic partitions by overwriting values in memory and storage and clearing logic configurations of the selected user logic partition.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the reconfiguration circuit is further configured to allow continued operation of partitions within the reconfigurable logic device other than the selected user logic partition while the reconfiguration circuit erases the data.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the reconfiguration circuit is further configured to erase data from additional resources coupled to an integrated circuit comprising the reconfigurable logic devices, the additional resources being associated with the selected user logic partition.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the reconfiguration circuit is configured to erase data from the selected logic partition by overwriting values in memory and storage and clearing logic configurations of the selected user logic partition.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the reconfiguration circuit is further configured to erase data from the selected logic partition by applying a configuration bitstream to the reconfigurable logic device.