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Access Matrix

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Amar Singh
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33 views

Access Matrix

Uploaded by

Amar Singh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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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

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