Apparatus and methods for stabilization of processors, operating systems and other hardware and/or software configurations
First Claim
1. A method for converting a processor, having a plurality of states and being operative to execute software operations stored in a memory device, into a self-stabilizing processor, the method comprising:
- providing self-stabilizing watchdog hardware that, with given timing, interacts with the processor, in accordance with an interaction sequence that includes at least one trigger that sets the processor to a known state from among a set of at least one known states.
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for converting a processor, having a plurality of states and being operative to execute software operations stored in a memory device, into a self-stabilizing processor, comprising providing self-stabilizing watchdog hardware that, with given timing, interacts with the processor, in accordance with an interaction sequence that includes at least one trigger that sets the processor to a known state from among a set of at least one known states. Also described are applications for stabilization of operating systems and other hardware or software configurations, apparatus and methods for ensuring eventual invariance of software executed by a processor, and apparatus and methods for enforcing fixed software configurations.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for converting a processor, having a plurality of states and being operative to execute software operations stored in a memory device, into a self-stabilizing processor, the method comprising:
providing self-stabilizing watchdog hardware that, with given timing, interacts with the processor, in accordance with an interaction sequence that includes at least one trigger that sets the processor to a known state from among a set of at least one known states. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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8. A method for ensuring eventual invariance of execution of software by a processor in that the software will only branch to an address which satisfies a sanity check, the method comprising:
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adding a sanity check code segment prior to at least one control branch in the software; and at bounded intervals, during run-time, if the processor is found to be within a pre-branch segment comprising the sanity check segment and terminating at the next branch, ensuring that the processor has executed the sanity check in its entirety. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 17)
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11. A method for enforcing a fixed software configuration notwithstanding occurrence of transient errors, the method comprising:
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in the course of generating software which assigns values to a plurality of variables, defining at least one variable as a configurational variable; hard-wiring the values of said at least one configurational variable; and redirecting at least one subsequent access attempt of at least one individual configurational variable, to the hard-wired value of said individual configurational variable. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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15. Apparatus for converting a processor, having a plurality of states and being operative to execute software operations stored in a memory device, into a self-stabilizing processor, the apparatus comprising:
self-stabilizing watchdog hardware that, with given timing, interacts with the processor, in accordance with an interaction sequence that includes at least one trigger that sets the processor to a known state from among a set of at least one known states.
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16. A system for ensuring eventual invariance of execution of software by a processor in that the software will only branch to an address which satisfies a sanity check, the system comprising:
a sanity check completion check functionality operative at bounded intervals, during run-time, each time that the processor is found to be within a pre-branch segment comprising a sanity check segment and terminating at the next of at least one control branches in said software, to ensure that the processor has executed the sanity check in its entirety.
Specification