Protection
Operating System Concepts
Protection
• Operating system consists of a collection of
objects, hardware or software
• Each object has a unique name and can be
accessed through a well-defined set of
operations.
• Protection problem - ensure that each object is
accessed correctly and only by those processes
that are allowed to do so.
Operating System Concepts
Domain Structure
• Access-right = <object-name, rights-set>
where rights-set is a subset of all valid
operations that can be performed on the
object.
• Domain = set of access-rights
Operating System Concepts
Access Matrix
• View protection as a matrix (access matrix)
• Rows represent domains
• Columns represent objects
• Access(i, j) is the set of operations that a process
executing in Domaini can invoke on Objectj
Operating System Concepts
Access Matrix
Figure A
Operating System Concepts
Use of Access Matrix
• If a process in Domain Di tries to do “op” on
object Oj, then “op” must be in the access matrix.
• Can be expanded to dynamic protection.
– Operations to add, delete access rights.
– Special access rights:
• owner of Oi
• copy op from Oi to Oj
• control – Di can modify Dj access rights
• transfer – switch from domain Di to Dj
Operating System Concepts
Use of Access Matrix (Cont.)
• Access matrix design separates mechanism
from policy.
– Mechanism
• Operating system provides access-matrix + rules.
• OS ensures that the matrix is only manipulated by
authorized agents and that rules are strictly enforced.
– Policy
• User dictates policy.
• Who can access what object and in what mode.
Operating System Concepts