Abstract: An exemplary optical connector assembly may include a substrate of an optical printed circuit board (OPCB) with at least one optical device thereon, the substrate including one or more recesses, an optical connector with one or more alignment members for coupling an end of an optical waveguide to the optical device, and one or more inserts, each having an orifice for receiving one of the one or more alignment members and each arranged to be received in one of the one or more recesses. When assembled, the one or more inserts may be received in the one or more recesses and the one or more alignment members may be received in the orifices of the one or more inserts thereby coupling the optical waveguide to the substrate to form the exemplary optical connector assembly.

Abstract: Electro-optical circuit boards may include one or more recesses to provide stress relief between multiple layers of the electro-optical circuit boards during variations in applied temperature. The one or more recesses may be included in the substrate and/or the optical layer of the electro-optical circuit boards. The one or more recesses may also contain a compliant material disposed therein to improve the flexibility of the substrate and/or the optical layer. For example, the compliant material may disperse thermal expansion stress within the electro-optical circuit board.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, or method may include an optical connector that is configured to be fixed to a substrate including an optical waveguide. The substrate may also include a reference mark spaced away from the optical waveguide and extending from a substrate edge. The optical connector may define a first alignment aperture and a second alignment aperture through which the optical connector may be aligned with the substrate (e.g., the optical waveguide). The first alignment aperture may be configured to be aligned with the reference mark and the second alignment aperture may be configured to be aligned with the substrate edge.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are apparatuses that include a first layer that includes glass and a plurality of waveguides disposed in the glass; a second layer that includes a second layer polymer and a plurality of waveguides disposed in the second layer polymer; and a third layer that includes a third layer polymer and a plurality of waveguides disposed in the third layer polymer.

Abstract: A method of, and apparatus for, network communication between a client computer initiator and a target data store. The method includes requesting, by the initiator, a data transfer session between the initiator and the target over a network. The request specifies quality of service parameters for the data transfer session. The method further includes receiving, from the target, a response accepting or denying the data transfer session based on the quality of service parameters; and establishing the data transfer session between the initiator and the target if the request is accepted. An advantage in communicating QoS requirements automatically on a per session basis between a client computer initiator and a target data storage resource is that QoS guarantees can be improved because the QoS determination can be carried out at the time the data transfer session is required.

Abstract: There is provided a method of making an optical polymer waveguide having an arbitrary refractive index profile, the method including: a) providing a first input optical beam having a first beam intensity profile and a second input optical beam having a second beam intensity profile; b) combining the first and second input optical beams to form an output optical beam having an output beam intensity profile; and c) forming the optical waveguide on a substrate by: exposing the optical materials of the waveguide to the output optical beam; and curing the optical materials using said output optical beam.

Abstract: Method of defining a layout mapping function for a parity distributed RAID array including target objects, the layout mapping function defining the mapping of the stripe group-address space to the target-address space in the array and including a matrix defining a unit space across target objects, the matrix includes columns defining the objects and rows defining equally-offset sequential units on the objects, the method including: specifying P target objects, where P>1; b) specifying A target objects as spare space, where A<P and A?1; defining a sub-matrix of P? columns, where P?=P?A; defining a layout of stripe groups across the P? target objects in the sub-matrix, each stripe group comprising data units and parity units; adding A columns, representative of the A spare space target objects, to the sub-matrix to form a complete matrix defining the layout mapping function; and implementing the layout mapping function on the objects.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of providing conditional access to an electronic data store including a storage controller and a data storage resource. The method includes receiving, at the storage controller, a network request for access to the data storage resource from a client, the request including at least one required parameter defining the requested connection, obtaining information on the performance of the data storage resource, determining, based upon the information, whether a) the data storage resource can meet the or each required parameter of the request; and b) meeting the or each required parameter of the request will not violate any previously agreed parameters defining existing connections on the data storage resource; and denying the request if at least one of a) and b) are determined to be negative.

Abstract: A method of sampling sensor data from a computing system is presented. The computing system includes a plurality of components and a sensor network for monitoring the computing system. The sensor network includes primary sensor nodes operable to obtain primary parameter data from a measurement of a primary parameter of the components, and secondary sensor nodes operable to obtain secondary parameter data from a measurement of secondary parameters of the components. The method includes: a) obtaining secondary parameter data from secondary sensor nodes relating to components; b) processing, in a computing device, the secondary parameter data; c) determining, based upon determined or pre-determined relationships between the secondary parameters and the primary parameter, a sample rate for the primary parameter data for the components; and d) obtaining primary parameter data from the primary sensor nodes relating to components at the determined sample rate.

Abstract: A method of monitoring the performance of a device is presented, each storage device being operable to receive storage requests and includes a queue for incoming storage requests and a physical storage medium, the method includes: a) obtaining data relating to the device parameters of: throughput of storage requests to the storage device; queue time for one or more requests on the storage device; and the time required to complete one or more storage requests on the storage device; b) generating a model relating to the expected distribution of the device parameters on the storage device during normal operation; c) monitoring the parameters during operation of the storage device; d) comparing the distribution of the monitored parameters during operation of the storage device with the expected distribution of the parameters; and e) identifying a fault on the storage device based on the comparison.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of providing conditional access to an electronic data store including a storage controller and a data storage resource. The method includes receiving, at the storage controller, a network request for access to the data storage resource from a client, the request including at least one required parameter defining the requested connection, obtaining information on the performance of the data storage resource, determining, based upon the information, whether a) the data storage resource can meet the or each required parameter of the request; and b) meeting the or each required parameter of the request will not violate any previously agreed parameters defining existing connections on the data storage resource; and denying the request if at least one of a) and b) are determined to be negative.

Abstract: A method of controlling the capacity of a virtual storage system provided on a physical storage system, the method including: providing a control program on the physical storage system; coupling additional virtual storage to the virtual storage system on the physical storage system; providing control data on the additional virtual storage; with the control program, reading the control data and configuring the virtual storage system accordingly. A corresponding virtual storage system is also provided.

Abstract: There is provided a method of making an optical polymer waveguide having an arbitrary refractive index profile, the method including: a) providing a first input optical beam having a first beam intensity profile and a second input optical beam having a second beam intensity profile; b) combining the first and second input optical beams to form an output optical beam having an output beam intensity profile; and c) forming the optical waveguide on a substrate by: exposing the optical materials of the waveguide to the output optical beam; and curing the optical materials using said output optical beam.

Abstract: A method of controlling the capacity of a virtual storage system provided on a physical storage system, the method including: providing a control program on the physical storage system; coupling additional virtual storage to the virtual storage system on the physical storage system; providing control data on the additional virtual storage; with the control program, reading the control data and configuring the virtual storage system accordingly. A corresponding virtual storage system is also provided.

Abstract: The invention provides storage enclosure, comprising an enclosure housing; one or more drawers slidably arranged within the enclosure housing, wherein each drawer has a pivotably mounted midplane having storage media coupled thereto wherein the storage media are coupled to both sides of the pivotably mounted midplane.

Abstract: An optical printed circuit board, including at least one optical waveguide for carrying optical signals on the optical printed circuit board; and a trench formed adjacent the at least one optical waveguide, wherein the trench contains a light absorptive material to absorb light that strays from the at least one waveguide.

Abstract: A temperature control apparatus for a hard disk drive includes: a thermal chamber for receiving a hard disk drive; and an oscillatory air movement generator for generating air movement within a region between the thermal chamber and the hard disk drive when received in the thermal chamber, thereby to facilitate heat transfer between the thermal chamber and the hard disk drive.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical printed circuit board, comprising: plural polymer waveguide sections from independent waveguides, each of the sections being doped with an amplifying dopant; an optical pump source to pump the plural polymer waveguide sections, wherein the plural waveguide sections are arranged close or adjacent to one another such that a the optical pump source is able to pump plural of the optical waveguide sections.

Abstract: The invention provides an amplification module for an optical printed circuit board, the optical printed circuit board comprising plural polymer waveguide sections from independent waveguides, each of the sections being doped with an amplifying dopant, wherein the plural waveguide sections are routed so as to pass through an amplification zone in which the plural polymer waveguide sections are arranged close or adjacent to one another, the amplification module comprising: a pump source comprising plural light sources arranged to provide independently controllable levels of pump radiation to each of the plural waveguide sections. In an embodiment, the amplification module also includes plural polymer waveguide sections corresponding to the plural polymer waveguides of the printed circuit board on which in use the amplification module is to be arranged, each of the sections being doped with an amplifying dopant.

Abstract: There is provided a storage reel for storage of cable. The storage reel comprises a first cable reel having a first reeling surface arranged to store wound communication cable thereon, a second cable reel having a second reeling surface arranged to store wound communication cable thereon and a connecting member arranged to connect said first and second cable reels. The storage reel is rotatable about an axis such that, in use, the storage reel is operable to wind cable across both the first and second reeling surfaces.