Analysis of Intel IA-64 processor support for a secure virtual machine monitor
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Authors
Karadeniz, Kadir.
Subjects
Advisors
Irvine, Cynthia
Date of Issue
2001-03
Date
March 2001
Publisher
Language
Abstract
This thesis explores the Intel IA-64 architecture's capability to support a secure virtual machine monitor. The major mission of a virtual machine monitor is to provide an execution environment identical to the real machine environment for virtual machines. A VMM duplicates the real resources of a processor for virtual machines while making a virtual machine think that it is running on a real machine. As a result, a virtual machine monitor allows multiple virtual machines to run concurrently on the same machine. A secure VMM on the Intel IA-64 architecture would offer several benefits. A secure VMM would ensure that security policy is enforced by constraining information flow between the supported virtual machines. This would provide PC users with a more secure environment in which to run COTS operating systems. The Intel IA-64 architecture was analyzed to determine if it is virtualizable. Three types of virtual machine monitors and their hardware requirements have been defined. The IA-64 architecture was mapped to these hardware requirements. Analysis showed that the IA-64 architecture meets three main hardware requirements. However, IA-64 instruction set contains 18 sensitive unprivileged instructions. These instructions prevent the IA-64 architecture from being used for a Type I VMM. Several virtualization techniques used in some architectures are discussed to determine if these techniques could be applicable to virtualization of the IA-64 architecture.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Electrical Engineering
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NPS Report Number
Sponsors
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Format
xxii, 91 p. ; 28 cm.
Citation
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.