Abstract: A modelling system to provide a computer based business process for an enterprise, allows the enterprise to input values for a plurality of non functional requirements (760) for the deployment, and allows at least some of the values to be varied independently of others of the values, and creates a design of software application components (770) and a design of computing infrastructure (780), for running the software application components, so that the business process operates according to the values input for the non functional requirements of the business process. By modelling the underlying computing infrastructure, it becomes feasible to create models with greater certainty that they will deploy successfully, and with greater predictability of how well they will meet given non functional requirements. This enables more freedom to be allowed to vary the values of these non functional requirements and get greater customisation to suit the needs of the enterprise.

Abstract: A system for generating a model representing an existing computer based business process involves analysing existing source content (910) which has annotations (920) added, to provide information for the modelling. Static analysis of the annotations can provide some of the information. Other information can be discovered at run time if the annotations alter the run time behaviour to generate monitoring events showing the behaviour. The annotations need not be restricted to codes or symbols or structures of the language of the source content, and can use concepts closer to those in the model being generated. Using annotations rather than manual modelling can reduce errors and lead to better predictions of performance from the model, and result in better reconfiguration of the software or the computing infrastructure to make more efficient usage of shared resources.

Abstract: A method of setting up a development environment for development work on a computer based business process, involves providing a software model (827) of the business process, and providing in the model a representation (870) of tools for developing part of the process, incorporated with the corresponding part of the modelled business process. The selected parts of the model incorporating the tools are deployed, and the given tools installed, to set up the development environment. By modelling the development tools incorporated in the business process, setting up the development environment can be made easier. Choice and arrangement of tools needs less manual input, so risks of errors, and time spent in setting up can be reduced.

Abstract: Modelling a computer based business process having a number of functional steps, involves providing software candidate models (740) of the business process, each specifying the functional steps (750), an arrangement of software application components (770) for carrying out the functional steps, and a design of computing infrastructure (780), for running the software application components, to meet given non functional requirements, and suitable for automated deployment. For each of the candidate models, operation of the business process is simulated (730) according to the respective candidate model and their simulated operation is evaluated against the non-functional requirements. The simulation can help the search for a suitable or optimum deployment to be more efficient and can lead to more efficient usage of shared resources.

Abstract: Sizing an infrastructure configuration optimized for a workload mix includes: receiving the workload mix; identifying demand estimates for the one or more predefined benchmarks; applying a predictive model to identify an initial infrastructure configuration having a size anticipated to meet the demand estimates; instructing a virtualized-aware testing service (VATS) test controller to perform a test of the initial infrastructure configuration in a virtualized environment, where performance of the test generates at least one test result; determining whether the at least one test result satisfies a predetermined requirement as identified in the workload mix; and outputting the determination of whether the at least one test result satisfies the predetermined requirement.

Abstract: In a computer-implemented method for automated test execution in a shared virtualized resource pool, a test description containing at least one model for a service under test (SUT) is received and one or more infrastructure configurations to be tested by resources in the shared virtualized resource pool based upon the test description are identified. In addition, a service lifecycle management (SLiM) tool is interacted with to cause the SUT and a load source to be created, the SLiM tool is directed to instantiate the SUT and the load source on the one or more infrastructure configurations in the shared virtualized resource pool for the SUT, and the SLiM tool and the load source are interacted with to receive performance data related to performance of the SUT under one or more loads generated by the load source.

Abstract: Sizing an infrastructure configuration optimized for a workload mix includes: a) instructing a virtualized-aware testing service (VATS) test controller to perform a test of an initial infrastructure configuration in a virtualized environment, in which the test provides at least one test result; b) determining whether the at least one test result satisfies a predetermined requirement as identified in the workload mix; c) modifying at least one parameter of the initial infrastructure configuration to create a modified infrastructure configuration in response to the at least one test result failing to satisfy the predetermined requirement; d) instructing the VATS test controller to perform another test on the modified infrastructure configuration to generate another at least one test result; e) repeating steps b)-d) until a final infrastructure configuration that causes the another at least one test result to satisfy the predetermined requirement is identified; and f) outputting the final infrastructure configur

Abstract: A system for automated lifecycle management of a computer implemented service, according to requirements, having a service model (30) representing the service at a given development state in the lifecycle, and a transition model (70) representing allowed operations to change the service model to a different one of the development states of the service, according to the requirements, and the transition model having a transparent structure suitable for automated inspection of the allowed operations, and suitable for automated adaptation of the allowed operations. The service model can be developed to another of its states of development according to the transition model. This can help facilitate more automation of the service development than for example code in a closed and fixed form such as for example a compiled program for altering the service model. This in turn can enable more complex services to be developed, or reduce development costs.

Abstract: A system for managing a computer implemented service, according to given requirements has a template (71) of a model of the service, parameterised by requirements and also representing allowed operations (65) to change the model, parameterised by requirements. A rendering tool (61) uses the template to create a service model according to the given requirements. The service can be deployed according to the model. A change manager (62) can make changes to the service model according to the allowed operations of the template. Having the allowed operations in parameterised form in the template can help reduce a risk of introducing changes which are inconsistent with the requirements.

Abstract: A system for developing a computer implemented service, for deployment on computing infrastructure, generates variants of the model by automatically choosing values for a limited set of design variables, and evaluates the variants in operation. A model manager (187) stores in a model repository (107) a current variant (57) and at least some previous variants, and their evaluation results and derivation trails, the generating part being arranged to use the evaluation results and the derivation trails to generate a next current variant. Such use of the repository can help make more efficient the search by the model manager for variants that work well. In particular the derivation trails and evaluations can make it easier to determine when to revert to a preceding variant or determine what new design choices to try next.

Abstract: An assembly which comprises (a) a duct (22) for transmission of fluids, said duct having longitudinal axis, (b) at least one emitter (301) capable of exciting a beam of radiation (21) in the form of a cone having root angles ?ex and ?ey, which may be the same or different, into a cross section area of a duct to be analysed in a direction downstream of fluid flow in the duct at an angle ?e from the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the duct, the angle ?e being between 5° to 45°, (c) a detector (23, 304) sensitive to radiation radiated by scattering centres in the fluid over at least 1% of the cross sectional area of the duct, the direction of the central axis of the emitter cone being at an angle ? to the direction of the central axis of the detector cone, the detector cone having root angles ?dx and ?dy, which may be the same or different and the detector cone having angle ?d perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the duct, the direction of the detector being downstream of fluid flow in the d

Abstract: A system has a virtual overlay infrastructure mapped onto physical resources for processing, storage and network communications, the virtual infrastructure having virtual entities for processing, storage and network communications. The system has a mapping manager to dynamically alter the mapping for balancing, performance, and redundancy. There can be more independence from the underlying physical configuration, compared to known methods of virtualizing only some of the entities. The mapping manager can be distributed across a number of entities on different physical servers arranged to cooperate with each other.

Abstract: A business process (15) having a number of computer implemented steps using software application components, to enable automatic deployment on computing infrastructure, is modelled by a management system. It automatically derives a grounded model (55) of the business process from an unbound model (25) of the business process, based on an infrastructure design template (35). The unbound model specifies the application components to be used, and the grounded model adds a complete design of the computing infrastructure to be used. The use of an infrastructure design template can reduce the large number of options to be evaluated to help reduce the complexity of generating or changing the grounded model. The infrastructure design template formally relates the business process, application components and infrastructure design so that designs, or changes which are inconsistent or inefficient can be avoided. Thus more automation of the designing and changing the design is feasible.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for detecting presence in gas of transient particulate above its normal zero or acceptable level within a duct (4), said apparatus comprising at least one emitter (2) of illumination selected from infra-red, ultraviolet and visible radiation capable of being projected over essentially the entire cross section of the duct (4) and at least one detector (8, 18, 25) for detecting any sparkle of the illumination from the particulate. The apparatus and method are in particular useful for detecting monitoring particulate in areas where build up or presence of particulate can be disadvantageous, for example hospitals and electricity generating stations.

Abstract: A continuous stream binary array ink jet print head includes an elongate cavity for containing ink and an array of nozzle orifices formed so as to extend through a wall of the cavity for passing the ink from the cavity to form jets. The nozzle orifices extend along the length of the cavity. The cavity is divided up along its length by at least one internal wall thereby to create a plurality of sub-cavities substantially acoustically isolated from one another and to divide up the array of nozzle orifices between the sub-cavities such that each sub-cavity communicates with one or more of the nozzle orifices of the array. One or more actuators associated with each sub-cavity cyclically varies the dimensions of the sub-cavity thereby to cause the or each jet emanating from the nozzle orifice(s) of that sub-cavity to break up into ink droplets at a predetermined distance therefrom. The droplets of each jet are selectively electrically charged and deflected.

Abstract: A variable gain optical amplifier, in which homogeneous gain broadening is dominant, has first and second fixed gain rare-earth doped optical waveguide amplifiers (21, 23) optically in series together with an intervening variable attenuation optical attenuator (22). This arrangement circumvents the problem of gain tilt encountered when operating such amplifiers under variable gain conditions. An alternative form of the module has variable gain waveguide amplifiers, but these are co-regulated so that the aggregate of their gain at a wavelength within the gain spectrum is maintained constant. A further alternative form of module is employed in a concatenation of such modules. In such a concatenation, the gain of individual modules is allowed to vary, but the aggregate of the gain, at a wavelength within the gain spectrum, of all the waveguide amplifiers of all the modules of the concatenation is maintained constant.

Abstract: A droplet generator for a continuous stream inkjet print head has an elongate cavity for containing the ink and nozzle orifices in a wall of the cavity for passing the ink from the cavity to form jets. The nozzle orifices extend along the length of the cavity. An actuator is disposed so as to address the face of the cavity opposite the wall to vibrate the ink in the cavity such that each jet breaks up into ink droplets at substantially the same predetermined distance from the wall. The actuator has a plurality of constituent sub-actuators each capable of independent vibration. The combined coverage of the face of the cavity by the sub-actuators is such that the jet break up can be achieved without resonance of the cavity in its dimension from the wall to the face.

Abstract: To support interleaving of optical channels and to provide sufficient isolation between such interleaved channels, a circulator (60-62) receives, on an optical fiber (16-18), a broadband signal containing a plurality of adjacent channels. The circulator selectively routes the broadband signal through a filter (64, 66) to isolate, on an individual basis, at least one desired channel. A filtered signal, corresponding to the at least one desired channel, is then output from the filter (64-66) and reflected back into the filter by a mirror (68-70) such that the at least one desired channel is subjected to a second filtering process that further improves isolation of the at least one desired channel. Following this second filtering process, the at least one desired channel is applied to the circulator (60-62) for re-inserting into the optical fiber (16-18), as illustrated in FIG. 6.

Abstract: A coupling system for a vehicle such as an articulated lorry and method of use thereof is provided. The articulated lorry includes at least a tractor unit and a trailer unit. The tractor unit has first coupling means provided on a fifth wheel which engages with second coupling means typically in the form of a kingpin on the trailer unit. The fifth wheel coupling means and the kingpin have one or more pneumatic and/or electrical supply lines provided therein which engage upon mechanical engagement of the fifth wheel coupling means and kingpin, thereby allowing pneumatic and/or electrical supply between said tractor unit and said trailer unit and/or vice versa. One of the fifth wheel coupling means or kingpin is provided with one or more annular protrusions on a coupling surface and the other is provided with complementary annular channels on a coupling surface.

Abstract: A droplet generator for a continuous stream inkjet print head has an elongate cavity for containing the ink and nozzle orifices in a wall of the cavity for passing the ink from the cavity to form jets. The nozzle orifices extend along the length of the cavity. An actuator is disposed so as to address the face of the cavity opposite the wall to vibrate the ink in the cavity such that each jet breaks up into ink droplets at substantially the same predetermined distance from the wall. The actuator has a plurality of constituent sub-actuators each capable of independent vibration. The combined coverage of the face of the cavity by the sub-actuators is such that the jet break up can be achieved without resonance of the cavity in its dimension from the wall to the face.