An apparatus and method for efficiently managing shadow stacks. For example, one embodiment of a processor comprises: a plurality of registers to store a plurality of shadow stack pointers (SSPs), each SSP associated with a different event priority; event processing circuitry to select a first SSP of the plurality of SSPs from a first register of the plurality of registers responsive to receipt of a first event associated with a first event priority level, the first SSP usable to identify a top of a first shadow stack; verification and utilization checking circuitry to determine whether the first SSP has been previously verified, wherein if the first SSP has not been previously verified then initiating a set of atomic operations to verify the first SSP and confirm that the first SSP is not in use, the set of atomic operations using a locking operation to lock data until the set of atomic operations are complete, and wherein if the first SSP has been previously verified, then re-verifying the first SSP and confirming that the first SSP is not in use without using the locking operation.

A processor implementing techniques for processor extensions to protect stacks during ring transitions is provided. In one embodiment, the processor includes a plurality of registers and a processor core, operatively coupled to the plurality of registers. The plurality of registers is used to store data used in privilege level transitions. Each register of the plurality of registers is associated with a privilege level. An indicator to change a first privilege level of a currently active application to a second privilege level is received. In view of the second privilege level, a shadow stack pointer (SSP) stored in a register of the plurality of registers is selected. The register is associated with the second privilege level. By using the SSP, a shadow stack for use by the processor at the second privilege level is identified.

Systems and methods may provide for receiving a Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) program stream including a set of operands and a set of operations and populating a first register stack with one or more operands in the set of operands. Additionally, one or more registers in the register stack may be powered off based on a stack depth of the register stack. In one example, one or more arguments are read from the register stack and an execution is conducted of one or more operations on the arguments.

In one embodiment, a processor comprises: a first register to store a first bound value for a stack to be stored in a memory; a second register to store a second bound value for the stack; a checker logic to determine, prior to an exit point at a conclusion of a function to be executed on the processor, whether a value of a stack pointer is within a range between the first bound value and the second bound value; and a logic to prevent a return to a caller of the function if the stack pointer value is not within the range. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

An apparatus is described. The apparatus includes an execution lane array coupled to a two dimensional shift register array structure. Locations in the execution lane array are coupled to same locations in the two-dimensional shift register array structure such that different execution lanes have different dedicated registers.

A data processing system 2 includes a stack pointer register 26, 28, 30, 32 storing a stack pointer value for use in stack access operations to a stack data store 44, 46, 48, 50. Stack alignment checking circuitry 36 which is selectively disabled may be provided to check memory address alignment of the stack pointer value associated with a stack memory access. The action of the stack alignment checking circuitry 36 is independent of any further other alignment checking performed in respect of all memory accesses. Thus, general alignment checking circuitry 38 may be provided and independently selectively disabled in respect of any memory access.

Embodiments detailed herein relate to matrix (tile) operations. For example, decode circuitry to decode an instruction having fields for an opcode and a memory address; and execution circuitry to execute the decoded instruction to set a tile configuration for the processor to utilize tiles in matrix operations based on a description retrieved from the memory address, wherein a tile a set of 2-dimensional registers are discussed.

A system includes a host device; a storage device including an embedded processor; and a bridge kernel device including a bridge kernel hardware and a bridge kernel firmware, wherein the bridge kernel device is configured to receive a plurality of arguments from the host device and transfer the plurality of arguments to the embedded processor for data processing.

Embodiments detailed herein relate to matrix operations. In particular, support for matrix (tile) addition, subtraction, and multiplication is described. For example, circuitry to support instructions for element-by-element matrix (tile) addition, subtraction, and multiplication are detailed. In some embodiments, for matrix (tile) addition, decode circuitry is to decode an instruction having fields for an opcode, a first source matrix operand identifier, a second source matrix operand identifier, and a destination matrix operand identifier; and execution circuitry is to execute the decoded instruction to, for each data element position of the identified first source matrix operand: add a first data value at that data element position to a second data value at a corresponding data element position of the identified second source matrix operand, and store a result of the addition into a corresponding data element position of the identified destination matrix operand.

A processor implementing techniques for processor extensions to protect stacks during ring transitions is provided. In one embodiment, the processor includes a plurality of registers and a processor core, operatively coupled to the plurality of registers. The plurality of registers is used to store data used in privilege level transitions. Each register of the plurality of registers is associated with a privilege level. An indicator to change a first privilege level of a currently active application to a second privilege level is received. In view of the second privilege level, a shadow stack pointer (SSP) stored in a register of the plurality of registers is selected. The register is associated with the second privilege level. By using the SSP, a shadow stack for use by the processor at the second privilege level is identified.