Capability-Based Addressing

Various addressing schemes making use of segment
tables are examined.  The inadequacies of 
these schemes when dealing with shared addresses are
explained. These inadequacies are traced to the 
lack of an efficient absolute address for objects in
these systems.  The direct use of a capability as 
an address is shown to overcome these difficulties
because it provides the needed absolute address.  
Implementation of capability-based addressing is discussed.
 It is predicted that the use of tags to 
identify capabilities will dominate.  A hardware address
translation scheme which never requires the 
modification of the representation of capabilities is
suggested. The scheme uses a main memory hash table 
for obtaining a segment's location in main memory given
its unique code.  The hash table is avoided for
recently accessed segments by means of a set of associative
registers.  A computer using capability-based 
addressing may be substantially superior to present
systems on the basis of protection, simplicity of 
programming conventions, and efficient implementation.

CACM July, 1974

Fabry, R. S.

addressing, capabilities, addressing hardware,
protection, protection hardware, shared addresses, 
information sharing, operating systems, computer
utility, segmentation, tagged architecture

4.30 4.32 4.34 6.21

CA740706 JB January 17, 1978  12:39 PM

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