OpenVMS Security
Robert Gezelter, Software Consultant
Security-Specific Architecture
Traditional Protection/Ownership Hierarchy
U.S. Government Security Certification
Implementing Secure User Environments
Application Programming Interfaces
INTRODUCTION
OpenVMS is a system with a unique history. It has a system architecture designed to produce a high-efficiency, high-integrity environment. High-security operation is a direct consequence of these goals. Philosophically, this has been crucial to its success. Thus, OpenVMS avoids the vulnerabilities plaguing systems that do not have security and integrity as part of their initial design. This chapter begins with a full examination of OpenVMS architecture, followed by a detailed examination of its integral security-specific design and related features.
The original OpenVMS design was a combined hardware/software architecture project. The protection modes, memory management, and privileged instruction set of the VAX processor were designed with the collaboration of the operating system's engineering team.
This coengineering process produced an operating system with a unique character. The design blends the knowledge ...
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