Abstract: A shear plate for application to the outer end portion of a ferrule to be cast into a concrete component such as a wall panel, the shear plate having an outer portion engageable with the ferrule and, beyond the outer portion, a portion shaped to incline away from the adjacent surface of the concrete component to which the outer end of the ferrule is to be exposed. The shear plate enables the ferrule to be situated close to an edge of the component in a situation in which it will be subjected to shear loading in a direction towards that edge.

Abstract: An anchor for embedment into a concrete component, has a head via which load is applied to the anchor in use and an anchoring formation provided by at least one leg extending from the head and profiled along an edge thereof so as to lock into the surrounding concrete. The profile is formed by a series of longitudinally spaced formations each of generally saw-toothed shape with a leading edge of each formation inclining towards the head such that on application of a pulling load to the head the leg will lock tighter into the concrete with increasing load.

Abstract: A support stand for a lifting anchor to be incorporated into a concrete component during casting thereof is formed from two identical components of bent wire assembled together to form an upper support frame and legs projecting downwardly from the frame. The two components are connected by only two welds, each at one of two zones of intersection of the two components.

Abstract: A shear plate for application to the outer end portion of a ferrule to be cast into a concrete component such as a wall panel, the shear plate having an outer portion engageable with the ferrule and, beyond the outer portion, a portion shaped to incline away from the adjacent surface of the concrete component to which the outer end of the ferrule is to be exposed. The shear plate enables the ferrule to be situated close to an edge of the component in a situation in which it will be subjected to shear loading in a direction towards that edge.

Abstract: A void former particularly for use with a lifting anchor cast into a concrete component is of two piece construction comprising a flexible element and a separate body which is substantially rigid. The flexible element is engageable with the head of the lifting anchor and is maintained in position by the rigid body which also acts to maintain the shape of the void during casting. After casting the rigid body is removed from the flexible element to thereby permit the flexible element to be disengaged from the lifting anchor by manipulation. The void former is thereby removable after casting without destruction of the void former and is thereby suitable for repeated use.

Abstract: An improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for generating trace data. In response to detecting a trace event, a determination is made as to whether identifiers for the trace event match recorded identifiers for a record in a set of previously recorded trace events. Location information for the record is placed in the trace data if a match between identifiers for the trace event and recorded identifiers for the record in the set of previously recorded trace events.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code to collect information for a system or processor having a transition between an idle state and a non-idle state to form collected system or processor information. The collected system or processor information is provided for analysis by an application.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for adjusting rates at which events are generated or processed. In response to a frequency change in a processor, a frequency for the processor is identified. A rate at which samples of events generated by the processor are selected to meet a desired rate of sampling is adjusted in response to identifying the frequency change for the processor to form an adjusted rate.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable code for identifying processor utilization. A current event is detected. A number of elapsed cycles for a processor since a previous event are identified in response to detecting the current event. An elapsed time using the number of elapsed cycles and a current frequency of the processor is calculated, wherein the elapsed time is used to identify the processor utilization.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing trace records. A set of traces is generated for a set of processors. A trace is generated in the set of traces for each processor within the set of processors. A record of the frequency change is stored in the set of traces in response to a frequency change in a processor within the set of processors. Trace records are combined in the set of traces using the record of the frequency change to determine a correct order for the records.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for the dynamic instrumentation of code to minimize system perturbation during tracing of the execution of the code. With the apparatus and method, “hot spots” in the execution of the code are dynamically determined during tracing of the execution of the code. These “hot spots” are dynamically instrumented, i.e. an event hook is inserted, to cause control to be passed to a handler that determines a caller of the “hot spot” method. The method that called the “hot spot” method, or “caller” method, is identified from a call stack and is dynamically instrumented for an appropriate metric so that the next time the calling method is executed, the dynamically inserted hooks are executed. The execution of the hooks in the caller method is continued for a predetermined period, e.g., number of invocations, to get an understanding of the caller method's characteristics.

Abstract: An improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for identifying a memory leak in a heap. Prior to the start of the observation period, all live objects in the heap are identified to form a set of live objects by altering an indicator in the live objects. After running the system for the required amount of time or until completion of the event being monitored, the system is used to obtain the list of live objects without the altered indicator. Live objects without the altered indicators form the most likely objects associated with a memory leak.

Abstract: A high security communication station delivers information to an authenticated user. The station receives encrypted information intended for a particular user. The station verifies the identity of the current user using the highly secure technology of retinal scan or iris scan in one embodiment. Once the station authenticates the current user, the station decrypts the received information and renders the information for secure delivery to the intended recipient, namely the authenticated current user. The station is configured such that the point of decryption is substantially co-located with the point of information delivery. By integrating the point of decryption, the point of information delivery as well as the point of user authentication in the same structure, the possibility of information interception by an unauthorized party is dramatically reduced.

Abstract: A high security communication station delivers information to an authenticated user. The station receives encrypted information intended for a particular user. The station verifies the identity of the current user using the highly secure technology of retinal scan or iris scan in one embodiment. A detector checks physiological information of the current user to assure that the user currently exhibits no substantial stress that might indicate improper force or duress by a third party. Once the station authenticates the current user and assures that the current user exhibits no substantial stress, the station decrypts the received information and renders the information for secure delivery to the intended user, namely the authenticated current user. The station substantially co-locates the point of decryption with the point of information delivery.

Abstract: A system and method for collecting a plurality of metrics during a single run of a computer program. The mechanism of the present invention initializes a plurality of counters to count events associated with metrics of interest. The mechanism of the present invention then counts the occurrence of events associated with metrics of interest during a single execution of a computer program. When a branch has been taken, a trace record is generated for the branch taken, wherein the generated trace record contains a count of events associated with the metrics of interest for the branch taken.

Abstract: A system and method for collecting a plurality of metrics during a single run of a computer program. The mechanism of the present invention initializes a plurality of counters to count events associated with metrics of interest. The mechanism of the present invention then counts the occurrence of events associated with metrics of interest during a single execution of a computer program. Responsive to a determination that a counter in a plurality of counters has generated an interrupt, the interrupt is rerouted to an interrupt handler, wherein the interrupt handler generates trace records comprising trace information corresponding to the interrupt. The mechanism of the present invention then generates profiles for the trace records, wherein the profiles differentiate the trace records based on the metric type associated with each trace record.

Abstract: An improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for generating trace data. In response to detecting a trace event, a determination is made as to whether identifiers for the trace event match recorded identifiers for a record in a set of previously recorded trace events. Location information for the record is placed in the trace data if a match between identifiers for the trace event and recorded identifiers for the record in the set of previously recorded trace events.

Abstract: An improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for generating trace data. In response to detecting a new trace event, a determination is made as to whether the new trace event occurred at an expected period of time with respect to a prior trace event. A time stamp in the trace data is placed in response to a determination that the new trace event did not occur at the expected period of time, wherein time stamps occurring at the expected period if time are eliminated from the trace data and wherein compression of the trace data occurs.

Abstract: An improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for generating trace data. In response to detecting a trace event a determination is made as to whether identifiers for the trace event match recorded identifiers for a record in a set of previously recorded trace events. A count in the record is increased if a match is present between identifiers for the trace event and recorded identifiers for a record in the set of previously recorded trace events.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions in a processor for performing arithmetic operations. A data type associated with a particular memory location is used to determine if an operation about to be performed on the data in that location is legal. If the operation requires the data to have a required data type, a determination is made as to whether the operation is a legal operation based on the identified data type and the required data type. If the operation is not legal on the identified type, a determination is made as to whether data can be cast to change the identified data type to the required data type. The data is cast to the required data type if the data can be cast to form modified data, and the arithmetic operation is performed on the modified data. If the data cannot be cast to the Required type, an exception or interrupt is generated.