SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

operating system must insert a descriptor for the segment into the GDT or into the task's LDT. In protected systems, the GDT and LDT can be made privileged structures so that only the operating system can modify them.

As its name implies, all tasks share the Global Descriptor Table; operating systems normally place descriptors for segments that are shared

system-wide in the GDT. The operating system's code segment (or segments) is a good example of a segment that should be accessible to all tasks and whose descriptor is therefore normally located in the GDT. In contrast, each task can have its own Local Descriptor Table. The 80386 maintains the current task's LDT address in its Local Descriptor Table Register (LDTR), but it reloads this register (just as it reloads its general

DESCRIPTOR TABLES

SEGMENTS

GOT

:~~~'[~~.II}~:~~'

TASK,~'"''2

[

LOT

I----------+-....L-__...... ] ~t:~::,~.,

TASK 1 AND

 

 

 

[

LOT

PRIVATE TO

 

TASK 3

 

Ii;'7ii77JiI

~ = ALIASES OF SAME SEGMENT

' ----...L-__...... ] I:l'tl'ro

Figure 3-5.Sharing Segments

3-6

Page 31
Image 31
Intel 80386 manual ~~~~~.Ii~~~