Patent ID: 7257718
Filing Date: 2007-08-14
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for executing a cipher message instruction in a computer system, the method comprising the steps of: fetching the cipher message instruction for execution; and executing the fetched cipher message instruction, the executing step comprising the steps of: obtaining cipher message information from a predefined general register, the cipher message information comprising a function code field, the function code field containing a function field value, the function field value indicating a cipher message function to be performed; wherein the function code value comprises an indication of a cipher message function to be performed consisting of any one of a KM-Query operation, a KM-DEA 64-bit key cryptographic operation, a KM-Triple DEA two 64-bit key cryptographic operation or a KM-Triple DEA three 64-bit key cryptographic operation; based on the obtained function field value, if the cipher message function to be performed is a cipher operation, performing steps a) through d), comprising: a) obtaining a cryptographic key from a parameter block in memory, the parameter block having an address specified by a general register of a plurality of general registers; b) obtaining a first operand from memory; c) performing the cipher message function indicated by the function field value on the obtained first operand using the obtained cryptographic key; and d) storing a result of the cipher message function performed as a second operand in memory; and based on the obtained function field value, if the cipher message function to be performed is a function query operation, performing steps i) through j), comprising: i) determining for each of one or more cipher message functions whether the cipher message function is installed on the computer system for execution by a cipher message instruction; and j) saving a status word in a parameter block in memory, the parameter block having an address specified by a general register of a plurality of general registers, the status word comprising one or more status word bits, each one of the one or more status word bits indicating whether a corresponding one of said one or more cipher message functions is installed on said computer system, each one of the one or more status word bits having a position in the status word corresponding to the function field value of the corresponding cipher message function.